At the heart of every good team is a slew of high-caliber players with a passion for the game. At the heart of every great team is a chemistry that can’t be tamed.

As a branch of science, chemistry deals with the investigation of substances’ properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change. It isn’t hard to see the correlation between this concept and that which relates to human beings. Chemistry is also an entity of social behavior that accounts for the commonality of personal interests amongst individuals that leads to a friendly bond.

In order for a team to be successful, all of the working parts must move together. First and foremost, all of the individuals on a team must share a common goal, which in the case of sports is most often competing for a championship. Without an overarching goal, a team can’t compete as one.

Once a goal has been set, the members of that team must motivate the player to his or her left and right to work hard, reminding he or she that the work one puts in now will directly impact the result at the end of the season. No teammate should feel left behind, or slighted in any way; for if one falls behind, the entire team will suffer.

Take pride in picking your teammates up when they’re down, coaching them through until they’ve reached a level that is on par with the rest of the group.

Oh and along the way, don’t forget to have fun.

All of the idiosyncrasies that make your team fun to be on is a testament to the relationships you form with your fellow teammates. These relationships are only made possible with the combined efforts of all of the individuals. It is naïve to think that we can like everything about everyone we meet, especially teammates, who we spend so much of our time with, but it is crucial to make compromises along the way.

Without accepting some of the not-so-great traits of a teammate, we will be unable to look past that and see the good in them, which could ultimately lead to a missed opportunity for friendship.

While chemistry is arguably the most important aspect of a team, it is obviously important that a team possess a certain level of skill to compete in their sport. At the end of the day, if the individuals are unable to excel on their field of play, it is impossible to say that they’ll be a truly great team.

That being said, when the years of playing have passed and the game is no longer a part of your life, you won’t remember every game you played, every at bat you had, or every catch you made---those moments will become obsolete. What will remain a vivid image though, are the long bus rides and stay-over trips that were filled with junk food, loud music, and inside jokes. These are the memories that you will cling to when you look at old photographs or see old teammates in the future.