Hardworking.

This one might be obvious but is true. Having a hardworking teammate is huge, someone that works hard in all situations. A hardworking teammate is someone that works hard at practice, in games, when no one else is watching, at off-season workouts, when coach isn’t around, and off the field. Having a teammate that you know is working as hard as they can for the team is a must.

Encouraging.

Having a teammate that encourages you no matter what is so important. Having someone to encourage you when you feel like your body physically cant keep going, someone that encourages you when you do good, but also someone that encourages you when you are doing bad. Sports can be just as mentally draining as they are physically draining and when you are down and discouraged the simplest words of encouragement, pat on the back, or text from a teammate can change a whole mindset.

Fun.

Often a forgotten trait of a teammate but one that is needed, is a fun teammate. Having fun teammates is important because sometimes you have to be able to laugh about what you are going through together, laugh at the fact that you got back at 3am and have class in 5 hours. Or to brighten the mood and enjoy it when you are practicing early in the morning, in the rain, in January. Fun is why you play the game and sometimes its good to be reminded of that.

Accountable/Trustworthy.

Having a teammate that you can count on and off the field is 100% necessary. Knowing that your teammate will be at practice, on time to the bus, at meetings, there to help you study, and has your back on the field is needed to be successful. Having a trustworthy and accountable teammate applies to every area of being teammates. This involves on the field making runs and knowing each others next move to cramming for a test or supporting each other through trials.

Honest.

Honesty is crucial on a team. Sometimes we have to admit our mistakes to each other to make the team better. Sometimes being honest might hurt someone at the moment but will better the team and the success of the team in the future. Being honest isn’t always hard though. Being honest can be reminding your team or teammates the thing they do well on the field and what makes them a good player. It can also be reminding them things they do off the field that help the team as a whole.

Accepting.

Understanding that a team is like a family helps to becoming an accepting teammate. You don’t choose your family. It’s who you have. You don’t change your family. Your team is the same way. You don’t choose your teammates. But you choose to love them and accept them. To be a successful teammate you must accept your teammates because you wont be able to work together to reach the goal if you cant accept them as your teammate.