We see things as we are. Not as they are, but as we are. If you are seeing your teammates as arrogant or angry, and if you constantly believe many of them lie, you may want to take a good hard look at yourself. Because the qualities you see in others (both negative and positive) are qualities you carry within yourself. A famous Hebrew proverb states: “Liars think everyone around them is lying.”

As we begin to be more honest with our “self,” our feelings of self-worth will grow. We’ll begin to deal with issues in our lives, and bring them to completion. We’ll stop keeping our emotions bottled-up and begin to speak freely of how we feel. We’ll begin to tell others, our teammates and even coaches, in a calm way, that something they are doing is adversely affecting us. As we become more honest, we’ll begin to view life from a positive perspective and can then utilize visualization to create images and goals we want to achieve.

Benefits of this type of program are obvious. High self-esteem among teammates is crucial to team productivity. By failing to encourage feedback, by allowing issues to fester, a coaching staff will inhibit player performance. If players in key positions are not allowed to come to completion with team and personal issues, their lowered performance and negativity can undo the competent performance of others. For team productivity, self-esteem can often be more important than talent.