Team Covenant

 

A covenant is an agreement that binds people together. Usually specific promises are made and upheld. We must decide, very consciously, to uphold our covenant terms that represent the best of values. In order to do this we must create an atmosphere of total trust. That trust makes honest criticism a sign of confidence and caring.

 

Constructive Covenant

1. Positive peer pressure will help bring us closer together as a team.

2. Creates an equal footing for us to accomplish our mission.

3. Helps us to shoulder our own responsibilities as a teammate. Everyone must do his fair share.

4. Prescribes terms for the help and support of others.

5. Creates a foundation for team spirit.

 

Destructive Covenant

1. Putting "Me" before "Team".

2. "Passing the buck" or using scapegoats.

3. Giving up. Failing to learn and grow from adversity.

4. "A house divided against itself cannot stand."

5. Failure to trust and believe in teammates and coaching staff.

 

Core Covenant

Coach Pat Riley said a team that has not committed itself to a positive covenant is always fragile at best. On the surface everything may look fine, as long as there is smooth sailing. But you are always just one ego, one disagreement, and one rough patch away from disintegration. Every team that wants to move toward significance and greatness has to decide what values are important and need to be upheld. Thus, strong covenants are forged from the "core", players with experience, who monitor the rest of the team and apply positive peer pressure. It takes time and maturity to build a positive core covenant, and often adversity can set the stage for an extraordinary covenant.

 

Team Values

 

Trust

• Makes honest criticism a sign of confidence and caring.

 

Faith

• A belief and trust in our entire system and personnel.

 

Team Spirit

• Creates an eagerness to sacrifice personal glory for the welfare of the team.

 

Competitive Greatness

• A passion, unbridled enthusiasm for the game and our mission.

 

Industrious

• There is no substitute for hard work. John Wooden said it is the cornerstone of success.

 

Academic Excellence

• If you cannot work hard in the classroom as well as on the court, you are fooling yourself and this team.

 

Discipline

• Do what has to be done; when it has to be done; as well as it can be done; and do it that way all the time.

 

Condition

• Develop a solid balance spiritually, mentally, morally, and physically.

 

Concentration

• An intense focus during practice as well as games.

 

Integrity

• Being honest with yourself, teammates, and others.