No “I” in Team, Revisited

What feels like eons ago, in 2020, I penned an article titled No “I” in Team. That article focused on individual expectations of a bowler who is part of a team, and how that bowler could better manage their team contributions. Lately, however, I have begun wondering about the “no I in team” mantra. What does it mean? Is it even true? Does this help me with my bowling mental game? And if so, how?

Let’s talk about it.

What is a team?

Before we delve into the concept of individual and team, or individual versus team, let’s define what a team is. ManagementStudyGuide.com defines team this way:

“A team is a group of individuals, all working together for a common purpose. The individuals comprising a team ideally should have common goals, common objectives and more or less think on the same lines.”

In bowling, our common purpose is to win matches or to score more total points than the opposing team, which covers the aspect of “…common goals, common objectives.” What about “…more or less think on the same lines?” At times, when a bowler is a single and is placed either on an existing team or is added to other singles looking to form a team, the league officers will do that, and, voila, you are now “a team.”

Can we truly call that a team based on the above definition? Creating a team dynamic and common goals will take time. If this team hopes to have an enjoyable league season, they will need to cooperate, learn about, and grow with one another. They would benefit from reading my ...