If you could pick between being personally successful or being part of a successful team, which would you choose? The answer seems obvious: be part of a successful team, but in high school athletics that is not always the case. A lot of teams fall victim to “prima donnas” who think of themselves first and team second. That is a big reason why coaches preach teamwork and togetherness. They know that a unified unit of good athletes will without a doubt beat a team with one or two “superstars.” A big reason for this is that the primary focus of fame-driven athletes is being recruited into college. Honestly, who is going to care about what you did in high school five years from now? My advice for the athletes who think like that: grow up and look at the big picture. No one is going to care about your personal statistics in five years. No one cares if you threw for 25 touchdowns, set the scoring record in soccer or basketball, hit 10 homeruns, pitch a no-hitter, or run a five-minute mile. You will just be remembered as “whatshisface” or “whatshername”. What people will remember in five years is that great team you were on that made a deep run into the playoffs, or that championship your team won. It’s true what all coaches say: “teams win championships, not one player.” Don’t get me wrong, you can be remembered personally for being a great player on a great team, but keep in mind: personal records come and go but no one can ever take away a championship. You and your teammates will live together forever in school history. I’m not much of a quote guy, but here are two quotes that’ll make you think. The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle. ~Unknown Author A player who conjugates a verb in the first person singular cannot be part of the squad, he has to conjugate the verb in the first person plural. We. We want to conquer. We are going to conquer. Using the word "I" when you’re in a group makes things complicated. ~Wanderley Luxemburgo