When it all comes together, even for just one game, it can be amazing. If you were wondering if it ever would come together, trying to remember why you play this sport, asking yourself if all the effort is worth it, it can take just one game to remind you that when groups become teams it stirs up something inside us – something real positive.

The varsity girls had one of those games on Sunday when we played and beat a very good Middlesex team. Middlesex had size, shooting, ball handling and depth. We were missing a couple of key players. As a result we had a number of players who were asked to play significant minutes out of position. It would have been easy to fold up and just go through the motions. There were plenty of excuses available if we came out flat and failed to complete.

Our goal for off season games is always to compete and improve – regardless of the outcome. Of course we always want to win – learning how to win is part of the improvement process. That process is intended to get us ready for the high school season.

In this game we performed to your expectations in lots of ways. We made most of our inside shots, converted key foul shots, defended well, rebounded, handled the full court pressure, passed well, got the loose balls, didn’t shy away from the physicality of the game and made key baskets under pressure at the end of the game.

Some will say, “It’s just one game”, and that’s true. As any JET fan knows – putting together back to back solid wins is not easy. But looking at the bigger picture shows more than an isolated performance. This team started to turn the corner in June when we had several competitive efforts (losses) against good competition in the Holy Family tournament. Then we played a complete game and beat Easton in the Fork’s Township League this summer (Easton had beaten us at Holy Family). We are now 3-1 in the very competitive Hunterdon Central Fall League. The trend tells us about what this year can be – our potential is more than just talk.

Like most sports, success at basketball is about confidence. Not just confidence in your individual abilities, but also the confidence and trust in your teammate’s abilities, believing that the team’s complementary skills can come together and produce an outcome that individuals alone cannot achieve. That’s what happened yesterday – it all came together for one game. I can’t tell you who the high scorer was but I can tell you that everybody contributed to the win. And I can tell you that I know it feels good when you play that way.

We need that feeling to become contagious. We should want to feel that way again – and soon. To do that we have to continue to work with purpose, to focus on the things we can do better – like we did on Sunday. If we do there’s science that indicates that we’ll generate those good feelings again. It turns out that we’re wired to work cooperatively. We are better when we do. We all want the approval of those in our group. It really matters to us. We want to feel that we are appreciated and what we do for others is appreciated by the group. When we do something good for others our brain releases a neurochemical called oxytocin. Oxytocin allows us to feel friendship, love and trust. It motivates us to cooperate with others. It makes us feel good. When we do something kind or considerate for others it’s not only the person doing the act that gets a shot of oxytocin, and not only the receiver who gets a shot but those who witness it also get some of it. This is the science behind “paying it forward”. This is why making a good pass can feel as good as making a basket. People who have experienced sustained team play understand the feeling. When we give of ourselves for the benefit of others oxytocin is released. It can be addicting – we’ll want more of it.

There is one other takeaway from Sunday’s game. Hope. Research tells us that athletes have higher levels of hope than non-athletes. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than today. It’s important because life ain’t easy.  It’s full of obstacles and roadblocks, stuff that gets in the way of our goals. If we really want to reach our goals we have to keep working through the obstacles and roadblocks. Hope is a mindset of success, the belief that we can make things happen. When we don’t have hope we tend to settle and choose the easy way out. We quit on our dreams. We don’t believe in our ability to make a better future.

Your play in Sunday’s game is a reminder to remain hopeful, a glimpse of what can be for your team. Never lose hope, stay focused, continue to work with a purpose and see how good you can be.

Bob Peterman