The opportunity to travel to Park City, Utah to play rugby presented itself to me this past week. Indeed, I missed class and a midterm I rescheduled to sit on a bus with my boys. Unfortunately, I am unable to play for a couple of weeks due to unique health problems and more hospitalizations. However, the coach wanted me around because I make a pretty good team mom. Or team manager. Or whatver you want to call it.

I discussed starting lineups with the coach, live tweeted our games (@CURugby), helped set up practices and drills, and met with the school monthly with a team of execs to keep everything running smoothly. This club exists, going on 60+ years, entirely student run. We organized this trip for the team, and I was ecstatic to go.

This season promised to be one filled with success and achievement. Yet, today CU suffered a defeat the other teams we played (so far, season is young) won. Words can't describe the feelings of bussing out 8 hours to a new city, experience a bad loss and heading home almost immediately. Although I'm sure many athletes know the feeling.

Unrealized dreams being the theme of this trip, our coach gave a brief yet poignant speech for the players after the game. Coach Murray left us to sit in silence on the bus with the words "We don't lose games on Saturday mornings. We lose games on Monday mornings, Tuesday nights, Wednesday mornings, Wednesday nights, and Thursday nights. We lose the game from lack of preparation in mind [in reference to our practice schedule]."

Now, Murray isn't insinuating our team unfit to play. We have 2 High School All Americans, 2 Australians, and 3 All-Conference starters. That's almost half of our starting lineup being comparatively superior! The talent is there, the fitness is there. However, what is lacking seems to be the mindset a team needs for the entire week of preparation leading to competition.

On that note, I'll discuss the breakthroughs (or lacktherof) every team needs to be successful on and off the field.

Unified Direction -This is usually aided by a team captain with charisma and knowledge of the game, and a propensity to "create something from nothing." They are the workhorses and talent in the game, and their presence on the field is an enigmatic energizer to the teammates behind them. Specifically this player needs to interface with the coach to set reasonable goals and hold the team accountable when they can't meet the expectations set before them. The captain, coach, and players need to work in tandem to successfully maneuver a demanding competitiion schedule and the toil involved in improving your game. This is the time to think.

Camraderie - The only way to be sure the team's elected representation of the desired seaonal outcomes is by interfacing with one another. Beyond the almost chore-sounding requirement of setting boundaries for team expectations, Camraderie is functioned so the play is smooth. If two players are fighting over the same companions, if there's personality incompatibalities, if there is a disagreement over the over-arching psychology of the game... strife in the locker rooms means less efficacy when it's time to perfom. This is the time to love.

Practice/Performance - Arguably less important than the other two, this is the time the team spends together to work towards their united goal. This is the time to learn/work.

Realization - Finally the time for the team to revel in their own achievement. Without this, there would be no point in setting goals. This is the time to relax.

These are the cornerstones of athletic achievement in team sports: coming together, enjoying the time, working together, and enjoying the fruits of the labor. It's a process.

For those of you on teams, for work, school projects, athletics, be a part of the process. Be a part of the progress. Leading your peers is one of the most emotionally demanding tasks you can do, and knowing such, understand judgement errors and logistical nightmares are bound to happen. If you are under a leader that seems to struggle, seek to aid those around you first and you'll easily earn the title of "teammate."

If you don't choose to be a part of the process, and inhibit the team, you will cause teammates to suffer. However, maybe it's what we all need every once in a while on the field. As Captain Bligh once said in Mutiny on the Bounty, "the beatings will continue until morale improves."