One of the speakers at a conference I attended recently made a big deal about creating your "team" - the people you can count on to support you no matter what, who are helping you achieve your goals in whatever ways they can. I have a hunch that just about everybody has at least a few of these 10 types of supporters on their "team."
1. Your cheerleader.
This is usually your grandparents, your aunts and uncles, that one friend who thinks everything you do is cool, or maybe just that one Facebook friend of your mom's. Obviously, all of these people are supporting me, but the people who most obviously come to mind are my next-door neighbors. They support me in everything I do, and make a huge deal: whether it's me hitting a squirrel with my car (because I was smart not to swerve, obviously!!) or getting the grades I wanted, they're just as excited. Your cheerleaders make you feel good about yourself and so, so loved. They get you as pumped up as Taylor Swift when she's shaking it off.
2. Your coach.
I guess that person could literally be Roy Williams for you, but for most of us, it's our parents. These are the people who make us think realistically, while also supporting us and pushing us to be our best selves. They know when to jump up and down and cheer with us, but they also know when we need to be brought back down to Earth. Most importantly, they know when it's time to throw their jacket in frustration - that always gets you going. My parents have always been my co-head coaches. There are way too many examples of this (almost 20 years' worth) but I could never say thank you enough for having such supportive parents, and I could never ask for better coaches. Just like Roy, our coaches are there to celebrate our successes and to help us recover from failures.
3. Your Teammates.
These are the people going through exactly what you are. At UNC, we've got upwards of 30,000 teammates, and that's pretty cool. Most importantly, every single one of them knows exactly when to dab.
4. Your Referee.
Your referee is probably a little scared sometimes - you do some weird stuff. They're there to talk you down, to help you let off some stress, or to laugh with you. They know what to say when you're not sure what to do next. For me, this tends to be my closest friends and family, because they're there to run interference when I'm panicking about just about anything. They know how to make the tough calls, and how to keep me in check.
5. Your Fans.
These people are there through it all. They've seen you at your worst, and they've seen you at your best. They're the people you're in the library with until all hours of the night, they're the people writing you notes with encouragement on them, and they're the people you feel most at home with. Pretty much everybody on this list falls into this category, because they're really just cheering you on, and making everything a bit more fun. Of course, most of us can only dream that one of these people could be MJ.
6. Your Hometown Fan Base.
There's nothing like that hometown fan base. They're the people who have been there from the start, the people who may be spread out all over, but who are still 100% supportive - even when you have an off season. They're the ones that believe in you no matter what, which is so important. For me, these are my "high school friends", the people who have been there through all these changes, cheering me on, and letting me do the same for them. They know that "we're all in this together" and they aren't afraid to show it.
7. Your Motivators.
Maybe they're going through exactly the same things you are or maybe not, but either way, they're there to know exactly whether you need to hear a killer song (i.e. House of Pain's Jump Around during a late night study session) or you need a hug. They keep pushing you to be your best. My suitemates are so good about this, and I'm so very lucky!
8. Your Training Partner.
For me, this person is almost definitely my brother. You and your training partner both go through the same process to reach your goals, and you face similar criticism from your coaches, but you also constantly push each other to be better. You know when to be hard on one another, when to go easy on one another, and exactly what to do to make each other laugh. Just like Joel Berry and Kennedy Meeks.
9. Your Sponsors.
Alright, so they probably aren't sponsors in this respect. They don't make branded social posts about you. These people are the ones who make big deal phone calls to help you, the people who are writing your recommendations for study abroad and job applications. They're the ones taking the extra steps. I have some really great "sponsors" and I'm extremely grateful.
10. Your PR Manager.
They tell you what to say, and, often more importantly, what not to say. These are the people editing your cover letters over and over, writing your recommendation letters, and reading things like this to support you. These people have seen you present yourself in all sorts of ways, and chances are they've laughed at rough drafts a few times, but you know at the end of the day they've got your best interests in mind - they want to make sure you aren't throwing away opportunities just because you didn't know what to say!
I'm lucky to have a killer dream team, and I feel very grateful to feel so much support. With these ten types of people on my side, I'm pretty sure there's no going wrong.
