By Janet Burns
Determination “firmness of purpose; resoluteness.” Determined “intention or resolution to overcome obstacles” from Webster’s dictionary.
As most of you who know me know, I am not much of a sports fan. What you probably do not know is that sometimes I do read the sports page. Through reading the sports page, I have learned a lot of things. One of those things is that without participation and effort from all members of the team working together and supporting each other, no matter what the sport (even gymnastics, which I thought was individual), most of the time they do not do well.
It applies to our work team at ACHR. We need all of us, all “players” determined to work together in support of the agency, the programs and of each other to provide quality services to children and families to do it well. When you think about it, it applies when we as human beings are trying to accomplish something that involves a group, large or small, in any work place, as members of a family, in faith groups, clubs and so on.
Saturday evening I was working at my computer and saw a headline that the Auburn basketball team had won against Kentucky. Amazing, at least to me, since I never thought of AU as a basketball power. As I scanned through one of the early articles, I read that AU players missed eight baskets in a row and were behind, but they were determined and kept shooting.
Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Sounds like after missing eight shots they should have just quit – given up. Said to Kentucky –“you win.”
Though I do not follow basketball, I would guess that actually the team was not doing exactly the same thing over again. It seems various players have strengths and weakness and some things they do that are “special” like get the ball down the court to someone else who can shoot better. All the players had the determination to keep going, worked together, got the ball closer and shot from different angles – and eventually among them, they hit enough baskets to win against Kentucky.
I read the next day that someone asked Coach Pearl if the AU team has moved from a “good team” which is what he had been saying the team was, to a “great team.” He hedged and said something like they were becoming great, but still had work to do.
That is us at ACHR. We are good, but we have work to do to become the great program that we can be.
Then Monday I read about the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl for the first time in 50 years after being behind in the third quarter 20-10. Wow! From the OA News “We never lost faith,” Mahomes said. “That’s the biggest thing. Everybody on this team, no one had their head down. We believed in each other.”
It is easy to get frustrated – to say it is just too much, we cannot do it, we walk off, or shut down, or sit and just watch, or talk ill of those who are trying instead of supporting or guiding them. I feel that way sometimes and I am sure many of you do, too. Then I regroup and try again, because I am determined that this program be a great asset to our community. Several folks at ACHR are doing that, but like in sports, we need the whole team. If we work together as a team, and each of us support each other, get the “ball” closer, take some shots at the goals from different angles, and keep doing it, I am confident that we, like the AU basketball team on February 1, 2020, will get it “right.” Then the programs we have will be a “great” instead of “good” asset to children, families and the community, which is our goal. Are you determined to help make that happen?