Feb 2006 Editor's Letter
By: Jill Pinheiro

I played on my high school tennis team, but I learned most of what I know about teamwork on the baseball field.

Although my alma mater now has on-site tennis courts, this was not the case when I was in attendance. So, every afternoon, we piled up in cars and headed to our community's country club, with whom we had an agreement, to practice on their courts and be coached by their tennis pro.

Even though tennis is largely a personal sport, not directly dependent on your teammates to win individual games, it's still critical for that sense of team to still be in place within the members. Without an involved and committed leader, one that was specifically invested in us, we struggled not in the strength of our ability and success (we won multiple state championships) but in our lack of strength as a team.

Luckily, I was fortunate to be a part of another athletic team at school. I was a four-year Diamond Doll, otherwise known as a hostess for the baseball team, so I spent a lot of time on and around our baseball field. I had the opportunity to be in the company of our legendary baseball coach who showed me the value and power of teamwork.

His favorite quote was from Rudyard Kipling: "And the strength of the pack is the wolf. And the strength of the wolf is the pack." It was posted on his desk, spoken repeatedly, and printed on the t-shirts team members wore underneath their uniforms. Our baseball team was, and still is, wildly successful, even on a national level, largely because of the strength of the team's leadership.

So as a former high school athlete, I recognize the value of high-quality athletic facilities and equipment. I also recognize the value of having high-quality people involved with leading athletes in school sports.

We'll leave the "people" issue to you. I hope you'll allow us, though, to serve as a resource on the equipment end, as you evaluate and select the right supplies for your sports teams to ensure that your athletes are safe and successful. 

I'm always interested in hearing from you. You can reach me at jill@cspmag.com.

God Bless,

Jill Pinheiro