Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Being on a team, whether it is an athletic team, debate team, robotics team, orchestra, etc., forces you to learn certain things that cannot be taught in a classroom. While society typically uses the word exclusively for athletics, Merriam-Webster defines "team" as "a group of people who work together." A team could be a band, choir, club, etc. I believe that being on a team, especially when you are young, is a key factor to being successful in your adult life. Here is why:

1. You Learn About Other People's Beliefs, Ideas, Backgrounds, And Strategies... And You Learn To Compromise

When you come together for a group project/effort/goal, it is important to hear everyone's ideas. While you may think you have the best idea, the best idea is typically a compilation of many great ideas. Teams teach you to value your colleagues' opinions and voices', while also knowing your voice holds importance and value.

"We realized that no one of us could be as good as all of us playing unselfishly." - Bill Bradley

2. You Learn To Trust Others

You cannot control what your teammates do. You pray they are memorizing their parts, doing their conditioning packets, or are practicing as long as they should. You know that part of being a teammate is trusting that your teammate is not going to let that goal in or are going to crush their solo. You trust that when you mess up, they will cover it up, because you'd do the same thing for them.

"Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities of which they were previously unaware." - David Armistead

3. You Learn To Take Instruction And Criticism

Criticism is a good thing. When people criticize you, it means they see a greater potential. It is not personal. It is for the better of the team. If you do not listen, you do not get results.

"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." - Winston Churchill

4. You Learn To Ask For Help

Asking for help is not a form of weakness. By asking questions, you may discover problems, solutions, and new methods for success. You know that if you do not ask, you could ruin a whole exercise for your team. It is not about you or your pride, it is about the success of the group.

"Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us." - John C. Maxwell

5. You Learn To Hold Yourself Accountable And To Hold Others Accountable

A team only succeeds if everyone is giving 100 percent. A teammate will tell you to work harder when needed. When your teammates are not around, you know that what you do during your downtime will shape the future. If you lack off, your whole team will suffer.

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” - John Wooden

6. You Learn That You Cannot Do Everything Alone

You have a team for a reason. They push you to further limits. They motivate you. They become the reason you want to succeed. You are no longer the last name on the back of your jersey, but the name you represent on the front.

"No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it." - HE Luccock

7. You Learn How To Communicate Effectively

You learn how to address adults with respect and intent. You learn how to say the tough stuff. You learn how to tell others what they need to be doing. You learn that people are not bossy, they are determined, smart and want results. Nothing is personal, because it is not about you. It is about the team's future.

"Examine what is said and not who speaks." - Unknown

8. You Learn How To Organize And Achieve Goals

Without organization and goal-setting, a team is working towards nothing. Teams learn to make realistic, achievable goals, and make plans on how to reach them. These plans are meticulous and take lots of dedication and time to fully complete.

"I've worked too hard and too long to let anything stand in the way of my goals. I will not let my teammates down..." - Mia Hamm

9. You Learn To Sacrifice For The Better Of The Group

When you are on a team, there will come a point where you must give something up for your team. Whether it is another activity, your love life, a school dance or a bad habit you have, you will do it. Your team and their success is more important than anything that would only benefit you.

"You can't achieve anything in life without a small amount of sacrifice." - Shakira

10. You Learn The Value Of Practice And Preparation

Practice may not make perfect, but it sure does make a big difference. Without practicing hard and doing everything you can to prepare yourself to be at your absolute best, you are doing your team a disservice. You all rely on each other to make good decisions and to go 100 percent. That is the only way to get real results.

"Believe me, the reward is not so great without the struggle." - Wilma Rudolph

11. You Learn To Never Give Up And To Learn From Failure

Failure happens. Teams experience loss. They also know how to recover from it. They look at what could be done better and work for better. Teams never give up, because their teammates would be failing each other by doing so.

"Champions keep playing until they get it right" - Billie Jean King

These are all very important values that can be put into everyday life for members of teams. Whether it is working on a group project in college, working on a team for work or balancing with your family, life lessons from teams can be easily applied to real life.