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Doin’ the Right Thing: Natalie Williams on Playing Fair
Basketball, Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist
A team is a beautiful thing. A bunch of unique peeps all coming together to play. Being part of a team is absolutely the best part about playing basketball. But, it can also be the hardest part. Mish-mashing 10 to 12 players – all with different tastes, values and vibes – can be tricky. There is always going to be a girl on the team that you’re not cool with. The key to making the most of your game is figuring out how to get along with everyone on the team – as if you were a big family. Great players learn to respect all their teammates and opponents in the same way that they respect themselves.
In junior basketball, when I was about 13, there were two distinct groups of players on my team. One group had skills, and one group didn’t. Some of the less skilled players had positive attitudes, and some were always being sarcastic and pessimistic. Attitude made a big difference. Those girls who were positive got more help, high fives and training tips from the better players. The girls with attitudes didn’t. Nobody wanted to even talk to them, let alone play with them. In the end, the players that checked their sass at the door became better – because they were open and willing to be part of a team. The players who are talking smack to others don’t get to stay around too long. It sets a bad example and ruins the team vibe.
Respecting the rules is also huge when it comes to an athlete doing the right thing. I missed curfew once – so the coach didn’t let me start in the championship game. We lost. It was a good lesson for me. You break the rules – you pay. Part of respecting the rules means not bad-mouthing the referees. I have always been bigger and stronger than most players, so I get fouled a lot. It gets frustrating when the officials don’t call those fouls. But I learned that staying calm was the best answer. If you flip out or swear at the refs, you and your team will be hurt – technical fouls and more calls against you for sure. If you stay calm, you can stay focused on your game.
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Winning is not worth losing your self-respect
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Nothing is perfect in sport. There are going to be mistakes. Someone is going to make a bad play. You can’t go getting in someone’s face for every human error that happens. Girls who play dirty against other teams or intimidate players on their own team hurt team spirit. Winning is not worth losing your respect and teams that fight aren’t teams that win. Keep your head in your game and value the contributions of everyone on your team.
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