This post is a rewrite from one I wrote in December, 2010. I’m revisiting this topic because I feel that it is still very important and I don’t think I wrote all I wanted to write.

The family is one of the most important structures in today’s society. Without it all of us would be living lives that would be without purpose and direction.

I know for a fact that it is my parents who gave me and my siblings the foundation of what a family is. Their positivity and their vision is what keep our family as total unit.

Right now I’m watching the NBA playoffs and although one of my teams did not make it to compete for the championship, it is still very exciting.

The words family and team, at least in my mind, have the same meaning. There are16 teams that compete for it all. On each of those teams there is a leader who is the coach. It is that person’s job to get his team ready to compete at a high level. There is a certain skill set that the coach has to have so that he can effectively convince his team members that his way is the correct way. He has to have sales skills and he also has to have the ability to make sure that each player feels he is an important part of the team.

Every player on the team has a role to play and it is important that each player understands what his role is. Each player, just as the coach will have his own certain skill set. One may be the scorer. Another may be the defensive specialist. Everyone has to know what is required of them. The whole team has to move like a well-oiled machine.

On each team there has to be one player that has completely bought in to the goals of the coach. That person becomes the coach on the court. He makes sure that each of his team mates doesn’t waver. The championship has to be the thing that they are all focused on.

The NBA playoffs start with 16 teams but only one team will be crowned the champion. Does this mean that the remaining 15 are failures?

I don’t think so. Although the remaining teams were not able to reach that ultimate goal, think about all the positive relationships that were formed during that quest. I have seen many an interview where a player, not just in basketball, was deeply moved because of his/her relationship with another player or coach. They all talk about how a positive interaction created a bond that would never be broken.

The family is a team. In place of the coach there are the parent(s). In place of the players there are the kids.

There is no championship. There are no rings and in most cases only the family members are aware of the groups’ successes or failures. Most, though, adhere to the concept that we succeed as a group and we fail as a group.

My parents are the team leaders in our family. Although my sister, brother and I are older and have our own families, we all have bought in to the principles that were laid down by our parents.

These principles include the importance in keeping our group together, the importance that we are all move in the same direction and the importance of how our actions affect the group.

Keeping the group together has to be the most important principle. Here we each understand that we stay strong by staying united. We can’t let any outside influence come in to disrupt the team. At the same time we can’t let any internal influences create wedges that would drive us apart.

Making sure that we are moving in the same direction is the responsibility of the team leaders. They have to make sure that the team as a whole does not get distracted. The success of the team will be determined by how focused it is.

Each team member is responsible for his/her actions. They have to understand that what they do can have a negative effect on the team as a whole. Therefore everyone has to be careful. A wrong action can have a lasting effect on everyone.

As a positive parent I have worked hard to make sure that my team understands its’ importance. Up to now it seems that we are experiencing some degree of success. We are aware of what direction we are moving, we are aware of our actions and most importantly we are aware that our strength comes from remaining a team.

If you are also watching the NBA playoffs, I hope that your team is successful. While we watch these competitions it is good to understand that the journey is just as important as the end.

I’m the guy whose glass is always ½ full.

I LOVE BEING A DAD!!