A New Era in Vancouver Sports. MLS is Almost Here.

Today, Tuesday March 8, 2011, the Vancouver Whitecaps have announced 2,500 more tickets have been released for the home opener of their inaugural Major League Soccer season. On March 19th the Whitecaps will take on their Canadian rival, Toronto FC. I, for one, cannot wait to experience this new league.

I grew up minutes away from Empire Stadium, now Empire Field. I played for a local juvenile soccer team, in fact, the same organization that Mr. Bob Lenarduzzi played for, Grandview Legion. I idolized Mr. Lenarduzzi, he even attended the same high school as me, or maybe it was the other way around. It was through soccer that my father taught me how to be a team player. He explained that it didn't matter who scored the goal, as long as it was someone on our team.

This lesson rings true in all aspects of life. When you make WE greater than me, everyone that is included in WE wins.

I think it goes without saying that in order to be successful in soccer, you need to play as a team. This is more important in soccer than in any other sport in the world. A strong eleven is a must, not a strong ten or nine. The truth is that it doesn't end at the starting eleven. There are several players that may not make the starting line up, that are just as vital to winning.

Speaking of "WE", this goes even further than the players on the team. It takes great long term coaching, management, marketing and support to be successful. If everyone thinks as WE, anything can be accomplished.

I look forward to the next few decades and the experiences that this team will not only give us current fans, but all of it's future fans. Sports are an imperative part of a balanced upbringing and the lessons that are learned on the field can be converted into life lessons.

The bottom line is, if WE work as a team, WE will win. It's inevitable because:

"WE is greater than me."

Man Returns Expensive Ring

There was a story I read online the other day about a man named Mark Epple. He's from Minnesota and was recently on vacation at a ski resort in Colorado. Mark was at the airport getting ready to return home when he saw something shiny lying in the gutter. To Mark's surprise, it was a 12 karat diamond ring. The story goes on to explain that Mark was out of work and the ring was worth several years of his salary. Despite the value of the ring, Mark tracked down the owner of the ring and returned it. Initially, he wouldn't even accept a reward. Eventually, Mark accepted a stay for his family at the ring owner's vacation home for a Christmas ski holiday.

Mark stated later that he returned the ring because he wanted to teach his children a lesson, that returning the ring was the right thing to do.

I'd like to think that WE all would return the ring and the real lesson here is that WE is greater than me.

WE is greater than me

“WE>me”

(WE is greater than me)

WE is greater than me. It’s a simple concept really, but I guess I should start by explaining what WE>me is all about:

The math:         “WE” is defined as “oneself and another or others.” This definition basically shows that mathematically, WE will always be greater than me. At least you can never be called a liar when you spread the word.

The Theory:     “WE>me” revolves around teamwork. If WE are willing to work as a team, WE can make anything happen. The concept centres on everyone working together as one. No one person being more important than the whole. Each and every person striving towards the same goal, whatever that goal might be. It doesn’t matter what the situation, if we make “WE” greater than me, anything can be accomplished.

The Quotes:

Terry Fox:        
"Even if I don’t finish, WE need others to continue. It’s got to keep going without me.”

The Dalai Lama:
“WE really need to embrace the concept of the whole world as WE.”

I don’t think I need to remind you what Terry Fox accomplished, but, in this example, it is nice to see what WE have accomplished in the almost 30 years since Terry’s courageous “Marathon of Hope.” WE, in a sense of the whole world, “WE” have raised nearly $500 million. That’s half a Billion dollars all in the name of Terry. As far as the Dalai Lama goes, there is no smarter man when it comes to peace and understanding than he.

Don’t get me wrong, Terry Fox never heard the phrase (WE>me), nor has the Dalai Lama ever called me up and told me he would promote this page. All I’m trying to get across with these two examples is that, they “get it”. They understand that teamwork can make the seemingly impossible, possible.

There are so many examples of “WE” being greater than me. You need not look any further than any championship, any healthy relationship or any success. WE can be a family, a company, a neighbourhood, a union, a marriage, a friendship, a sports team... You get the picture.

Stay Tuned For Never Ending Examples of WE>me. Also, feel free to email me your own examples. Thank you for your time.