Carla’s Corner – Edition 10
Dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist and world champion Carla Krizanic continues to share her insights in her tenth column for bowls.com.au, as she eagerly awaits the arrival of her second child.
This week, I thought I would talk about being a good teammate in honour of all the fabulous teammates I’ve had over the years.
I do enjoy the odd game of singles but my favourite thing about our sport is the team aspect, at the end of the day you have someone to celebrate with if you win, or if things don’t go so well you have a pal to drown your sorrows with.
I always find that playing well for my teammates is also an extra motivation to get the best out of myself.
A great teammate is always positive, encouraging and supporting their team regardless of whether they are playing well or not.
Nothing to me is more frustrating than a teammate who isn’t having their best game and continues to tell you how bad the forehand side is or that the wind is impossible, all of a sudden this can put things in your head that weren’t previously bothering you.
It’s important to remember as a team player that if you aren’t having your best personal game, you can still contribute by being encouraging and supportive, and not letting your own troubles hinder others.
Positivity is contagious, but unfortunately so is negativity, so remember even if you are feeling frustrated to stay positive for your teammates, this might be the difference that you can contribute to get your team over the line.
A great teammate is selfless, they are willing to play any position in the team regardless of their own ambitions and preferences for a particular role.
We often hear people say they are not happy with the position they are selected in for pennant, but a good teammate can see beyond this and instead thinks about how best they can help their team from that position.
Everyone contributes and every position is part of the success of a team.
Fantastic teammates treat others with respect, and they make others feel good about themselves and their role on the team.
The best teammates I’ve played with understand that everyone is an individual so they respect that individuality and know how to get the best out of them.
Some of my favourite teammates over the years have not necessarily been my closest friends off the green but on the green we have showed each other the greatest respect and got the best out of each other’s performance.
Finally, the great teammates I have played with over the years are passionate.
They love bowling, they love competing and they love the team aspect as much as I do which creates an environment of enjoyment and success.
Take care,
Carla Krizanic.
