4/11 Classwork-Rendell

I thought Rendell’s chapter Ocean of Air said very interesting things about the relationship of the individual and team. For example, he said on page 10, “American football has its offensive linemen and soccer its midfield stoppers, but they are their team-mates equals in victory or defeat.” Although cycling is an individual sport, it succeeds through the work of a team, which is true in many aspects of life. Thinking back on a time I belonged to a particular community or team, I think of when I played soccer in high school. It’s an interesting experience because you want to be the best you can be on an individual level, be a fast runner, have stamina, ball control, etc., however, you really can’t win the game without the help from others. I can’t think of a specific time when I’ve sacrificed my own benefit in order to help the group, but I’m sure it has happened many times. Just in terms of who you pass the ball to, when you pass the ball, where you pass the ball, it all determines the future outcome, which typically means setting someone else up or setting yourself up. Either way, you can’t achieve success without the help from others and I think that’s a very valuable life lesson to live by.

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