THE PLAYERS ON THE BENCH

It takes more than five players to make a winning team. The starting five may win a game, but it takes the whole team to go all the way--- to win a championship. The team is really like an automobile. The starting five does most of the driving, but behind the scenes it is just as important to how well the rest of the team keeps the machine tuned and running smoothly. This is the part of the team that builds the character of a lasting winner. The more dedicated the player on the bench, the harder they work, the more they push and strengthen the starting five; the machine will run stronger and operate more consistently. If they quit, don't give their all, or become complacent with their position on the team, it will slow down the vehicle and greatly weaken its potential and take away from its total mileage. They help contribute to the one-point loss. They are partly to blame for the mental lapse against the big rivalry. They undermine the total effort necessary to come back from a ten point deficit in the championship game. They are also equally responsible for success in those same situations when they are reversed as they play a much vital role in the preparation of the machine before the race. Whether they play or not, they will have already made a contribution before the game ever begins. Yet still they are expected to be ready to step in at various times in various situations without putting a clog in the machine and to even sometimes provide a spark. They may be looked to when someone is hurting, or out of breath, or burning inside for that spirit, that push, and that enthusiasm necessary to win.

When the game is over, when the season ends and all the fans and sportswriters are talking about the main drivers, the stars, the heroes, the players know that the real winner is the whole team and that the team is only as good as those players on the bench--- the players who build the character of a lasting winner.