What we all can learn from a locker room...

I think every American should spend time in a sports locker room. Either as a player, volunteer, or as a coach, I do not think there is better venue to improve the current state of our workplace and society.

What I learned from my time in a locker room has changed my life and impacts me everyday:

?? Equal and fair are not the same.

In a locker room, everyone is equal. They have the same status and value as individual parts of what make the team. Every role is important and everyone is treated equally under the rules. To be fair, coaches should be impartial. They should strive to give each player unbiased and objective coaching to make each player better. There should be a desire to give each player what they need. Fairness means giving each player the same chances to succeed and choices to be a part of the team.

? Balance and consequences

In a locker room, their is balance in equal treatment and understanding the consequences for choices. Every person has individual needs and players are no different. Some need more attention, while others need more discipline. Some need lots of patience, while others need to be challenged. You cannot treat every person the same. To be fair, individuals must get what they need in order to have an equal chance to succeed. Once they have had the chance or made their choice to accept or receive the opportunity, it is only fair that a player must live with the consequence. The game may be fair, but the outcome may not always be. Not everyone will play the same amount. Not everyone can be the star player. And, the team will not always win. In a locker room, we learn the importance of balancing our needs with others and how to deal with reality of consequences. Most importantly, we learn how to overcome them.

?? Love and Respect

In a locker room, there are many types of people, opinions, and dreams. But consequently, there is also disagreement, conflict, and differences. However, there is also a common love of the game and belief that all will be treated equally under the rules with a fair opportunity to succeed. It is this love and belief that allows the locker room to learn respect for one another. And in most locker rooms, teams grow to appreciate their differences and disagreements to become closer to one another. In a locker room, teams are united by the dreams they all share and the dreams each player has for themselves. The team becomes more human and realizes they cannot accomplish their dreams without each other.

I pray our workplaces and our country become more like a locker room.