The difference between a TEAM and a FAMILY

[trumpetspride]

This is just something I wrote and I wanted to share ;D :

A group of people who all play a sport together and work together on the field is a TEAM. A team becomes close, because if they aren’t they cannot succeed. They win together and lose together on the field…and sometimes they grow close enough to win together and lose together off the field too. But as years rush past a team may grow apart as each member moves on to bigger and better things.

A group of people who are in marching band together, a different kind of sport, are a FAMILY. They become close, not because they have to…but because they can’t help it. They win together and lose together on AND off the field…no matter what. And as years rush past a family stays close. The members move on to bigger and better things, but memories are never forgotten or taken for granted. See, a band is a family…not a team. They have all aspects of a team…but they also have more. They fight and have drama and problems…but they heal together. They fix the problems. They forget about the differences and about the bad times. They grow closer and closer every day…every moment spent with each other.

A band. We win together and lose together. We aren’t a group of individuals…we are one solid unit. When one member fails…we all fail. We have to be strong to prevail. By the end of the season, we are a family. We may even be tighter than a family. It’s the truth that we can’t change. But another truth is, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

So, yeah. That's just MY opinion, though. Feel free to voice your own!!

[lightningflute2010]

I agree. In sports, they just run around together, playing games every week, and they don't have much time to bond except for on the buses.

In band, we have class together, we have practices and games together, we're there all year long. And there's a lot more of us. It just can't be helped. You just..are a family.

[mthsbandrocks]

That's very true. I mean, if a band was a "team", I wounldn't care that we were losing people. But were a "family" and I DO care that were losing people.

Good opinion. *claps* Heh. = ]

[Lprdgecko]

So true! Great job! I couldn't have said it better myself!

[bandie4life210]

wow that is truly the best way to describe band! Beautifully said

[trumpetbabe69]

wow... i agree, that was beautiful

I totally know what your saying, a team has a SPORT in common... a band, well, we have a passion in common, an activity, a 'sport', a LIFESTYLE in common. And we work in such close conditions, you have to get to know, and love one another. I mean, if a team is the family you choose then band is the family you are lucky enough to be a part of! I could never imagine life without my family and i could never imagine life without band!

[trumpetspride]

Thanks guys!!!!! *grins*

Yeah...we share a passion...definitly. And what I think really makes a band a family...is that we DO get on eachother's nerves sometimes...tensions run high...but...the part of that that makes us a family is that we get through it with few to no scratches.

[orangepolarbear]

Bringing it from a college perspective (have to...Loud_and_Proud is my biological sister....), that's true. And I know I felt that family connection in high school too, as Loud_and_Proud knows all too well. In college, it does change a little, but I feel like the band I'm in now is a sort of very dysfunctional family. We're relatively large, considering the size band I came from, and God knows we don't know all of each other's names. The difference is...there's less drama in my college band than in my high school band. I think we mostly feel that family connection when we're stuck together for long periods of time. During band camp, definately, when we're messing with our BD...on trips...when we're deciding where to GO for trips (we're not getting into THAT story right now). Granted, there are a lot of times that the family feel isn't totally there. We're not each other's only social group. Many of us are in the social Greek system, and those are the people we hang out with the most.

One of the coolest things of this family from my high school band...the Bandies I graduated with, we all still talk to each other. When we get together for alumni stuff, it's like we never left. And that's something special all on its own.

Anywho, yes, I agree with the whole family thing. And that feeling still exists in its own special way in my college band. Which is cool.

[trumpetislife]

i agree with what you said. this reminded me of something our bd said to us before a competition. "we're a team! except were better then ne other sports team because everyone plays and no one has to sit out of the bench for the whole game. we're all in this together!"

[tubapride]

lightningflute2010 said:

I agree. In sports, they just run around together, playing games every week, and they don't have much time to bond except for on the buses.

That's not exactly true. Many teams have strong bonds together. When a group of people do something together, even if they're not as good as others or if they're better than most, families can form, and do many times.

[trumpetspride]

Yeah, that's true too.

[trumpetspride]

Yeah, I get where you are comming from. I wasn't trying to bash sports teams...I know they become close. I was just trying to say that I think band-bonds are special. I'm not exactly sure why...it just seems like it.

But you're right. All sorts of "teams" have the potential to be a "family".

[carahtheodd]

^yes, sports teams have the potenitial to become a family, but like you were saying, in band it "happens" a lot more often. Occasionally a team will become a family, but it is almost expected in a Marching band.

[oboehorn77]

I don't know much about sports... but band...

See, the thing is, I have a couple perspectives on this. Firstly, I fiercely WANT you to be right.

But this is coming from the girl who quit guard. Why? OK, for her oboe. But think about that for a second. I still see most of the guard girls from time to time in school. A couple are even in my choir class. How many even acknowledge me anymore? One. Now, I can understand why this is and I respect it. I did, as I said, quit. So, I suppose I'm no longer in the family? Is it sort of like the whole "you're dead to me" cliche? From that perspective, I would hope it never was that strong. Then I haven't lost as much. What I wish is that I could have held on to those friendships, even if I was going away. The thing was, the circumstances were kind of strange... and, I don't know.

[orangepolarbear]

oboehorn77 said:

I don't know much about sports... but band...

See, the thing is, I have a couple perspectives on this. Firstly, I fiercely WANT you to be right.

But this is coming from the girl who quit guard. Why? OK, for her oboe. But think about that for a second. I still see most of the guard girls from time to time in school. A couple are even in my choir class. How many even acknowledge me anymore? One. Now, I can understand why this is and I respect it. I did, as I said, quit. So, I suppose I'm no longer in the family? Is it sort of like the whole "you're dead to me" cliche? From that perspective, I would hope it never was that strong. Then I haven't lost as much. What I wish is that I could have held on to those friendships, even if I was going away. The thing was, the circumstances were kind of strange... and, I don't know.

See, the thing I think is...this family situation varies between bands. In my high school band, more than likely, if someone quit, they wouldn't be shunned or whatever. In my college band...I think sometimes people get shunned if they quit, and sometimes they don't...it depends on the situation of their quitting. Some bands are more "clique-y" than other bands, and some bands take quitting more personally than others.