Here’s a piece from this morning’s SFGate. I’m wildly interested in sports cultures – how they come into being, how they’re nurtured, and how they fluctuate over time. If this guy’s view of the San Francisco Forty-Niners’ evolving culture is true, I would advise other NFL teams to watch out…
From “Rookie CB Reed: 49ers’ unselfishness is not ‘normal’”:
The biggest surprise of rookie cornerback D.J. Reed’s first days in the NFL: His new teammates care about the team.
On Friday, the fifth-round pick said he expected the business of the NFL to magnify divisions he’d seen during a college career that included stops at Fresno State, Cerritos College and Kansas State.
Instead, Reed, who could pose a threat to first-string nickel corner K’Waun Williams, shared that warm ebraces — not cold shoulders — have greeted him in Santa Clara.
“I thought the veterans would not help you with the playbook because you’re competing for their spot,” Reed said. “It’s nothing like that. If I ask A.C. (safety Adrian Colbert), if I ask (cornerback) Richard Sherman, if I ask any of those guys — they want to help me so I can make the team better.
“It’s really team-driven, which is different than basically everywhere I’ve been. Everyone is on board with the same thing. I haven’t met one person that’s selfish, which, to me, is not normal. I’ve never experienced that.”
As previously mentioned, I’ve just completed a book on how the culture in K-8 schools and high schools makes an immense difference in kids’ happiness and school success. I’ll share those findings here in due time, because the same values and directed energies combine to create success and happiness in the classroom and on the playground.