Be a team player. That’s good advice whether you are in the military, an office or a football team. Too much attention seems to be given to the individual stars and there is no doubt that some people are outstanding in their fields. If we are to succeed in any given arena though we have to learn to pull together with others. Even the most talented player in any field will have some faults and will need the support or influence of others. Certainly even those who play individual sports will have support from coaches or mentors So being a team player is something that managers, officers and coaches have to get across to those they are training. As the saying goes, there is no i in the word team. Some will reply that there is me in team but that is a selfish and childish response. As the advertisement says, together we can make things happen.

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Every graduation has a guest speaker. In fact lots of ceremonies, especially award ceremonies have such speakers. Somebody always has the job of introducing them and that is a real challenge. Such a speech has to be welcoming to the speaker. It also has to be informative. In other words you should have done your research on the speaker so that you can speak appropriately when introducing him or her. You should know if he or she has campaigned against racism, won an Olympic medal or saved a whole village from drought. Depending on the occasion you should be able to say how fortunate you are to have such a speaker who is a leader by example. You might say that he or she will inspire others by his or her achievements. If you are also the M.C. you should make the guests feel welcome too and included in the atmosphere of the evening. In other words introducing a guest speaker is like bringing in a birthday cake with candles blazing. You are setting the scene for what is to follow.

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Whatever about cricketers rain doesn’t stop play for most golfers. After all if the weather gets too bad they can always go to the 19th hole. It is here in the clubhouse that they will have their Captain’s dinner and their Captain’s prize night. However brilliant a golfer that captain may be he or she might have some trouble with their speeches on these occasions. After all just because you can get a hole in one doesn’t mean you can get your words in the right order. There are some things that are obligatory in your speech. You have to give your thanks to your committee, to the catering staff and to the greenkeeper. You should mention the camaraderie at the club and its beautiful surroundings. Naturally you welcome any guests and speak about incidents and games during your term of office. You should end with a toast to the sport you love. If you can do this in an entertaining way there is no doubt but that you’ll be a winner.

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H.J. Byron said that life is too short for chess. Whatever about that life is full of other games, particularly in the summer months. Just now prizes are being given and speeches made at lots of golf outings. Athletes are having their names entered as members of the sports hall of fame. Coaches are giving inspirational speeches to their teams and individual and team winners are accepting their prizes graciously. If you are presenting a prize you should speak about dedication and hard work as well as skill and aptitude.  If you are receiving an award you should mention all the encouragement you got from family and friends and, of course, the training you got from your coach or your manager. Naturally too you will speak about the opposition and how they challenged you In other words your speech, like your performance, should be sporting.

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Rory McLlroy is not the only golfer around. He is, of course, a wonderful player but he is just one of the thousands who play this demanding and often frustrating game. They aren’t all professionals of course. They are men and woman who simply love the game and who spend much of their free time on the golf course. All of the world there are cups and competitions and prizes given to the winners. In fact if you get to be the captain of a golf club you need to learn to give speeches as well as play the game. After all you might have to speak at the Captain’s annual dinner or at the Captain’s prize. It could be that you have to say a few words at a golf outing prize-giving. You would need to speak about the game itself and about the wonderful players who took part in competitions. You would need to mention too the staff who keep the greens green and the meals appetising. Those committees deserve a word of praise too. Above all remember that your are speaking to like minded souls who think golf is as Arnold Palmer said, “A way of testing ourselves while enjoying ourselves”.

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It’s time for the great outdoors. It’s time for Wimbledon and the Masters. It’s also time for sporting events that are less well known. Every golf club will have its outings, every football team its games. and every school its sports’ day. As a result there are plenty of award winning ceremonies and plenty of challenges for those presenting the awards to make good speeches. Naturally such speeches will depend on whether it is an individual event or a team sport. They will refer to the particular golf outing or tennis tournament. They will speak of hard work and enthusiasm. They will mention the hours spent training. They will speak of passion and commitment to the sport in question. They will mention, if appropriate, the expertise and help of the coaches. They should mention the fun and camaraderie that is part of sport. Summer is a time for bouncing balls and long distance runners. Whatever the sport the speeches at prize giving ceremonies will simply say “Well done”.

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It’s time for the high jump and the long jump. In other words it’s time for the school sports day. It’s a day for perspiration and perseverance. Teachers blow whistles and students run sprints while their parents shout encouragement. It’s a day when the non- academic have a chance to shine. It’s a time for pride and prize giving and the presentation of medals. The head teacher has the problem of giving a speech suitable for the occasion. Naturally he will welcome the parents. He will speak of the importance of sport in a student’s development. He should speak too of how well the day has been organised by the staff and of the sportsmanship of the students involved. Above all he will ensure that those who have not succeeded in actually winning those prizes will feel that they are winners too.

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This is the time for comings and goings. That is if you are talking about clubs and associations. Just now many club officers are retiring from their posts and new ones are being elected. That means that there will be lots of speeches… The clubs may be fraternal ones, professional associations, ladies or sporting clubs but the speeches will have a lot in common… Those who are retiring will be thanking the members of the committee who have helped them during their term of office. They will express their faith in the President elect and the work he or she will do. Incoming officers will speak in glowing terms of their predecessor and express the hope that they can do an equally good job. Whether incoming or outgoing they will speak about the ethos and aims of the club or association. They will speak too of their own personal hopes and dreams for it and thank those who have elected them. If it is a social occasion they may end their speeches with a toast to the club or association. If not they will express their hopes for a wonderful future and lots of achievements in the coming year.

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Friendship, it is said, is a gift we give ourselves. If we are wise we will cherish and nurture that gift. Real friendship cannot thrive on neglect. It needs those phone calls and those meetings. A friend needs your interest and your concern. Friends need your understanding and sometimes, your disagreement. Real friends can, you see, agree to differ and what you may say honestly and openly should not affect your relationship. We meet our friends in many different ways. Some we can trace back to childhood. Others we meet through sport, night classes or in the office. We can strike up friendships at school, at college or at a party. Shared interests of course cement friendship and so being in a religious group together or on the same team will mean you have more in common. You will, therefore, have ideas to discuss and thoughts to explore. A real friend is one that stands by you when you are in trouble. If your business fails or you have to go to hospital your friends will be there to support you. A friend has a listening ear, a ready understanding and will be sympathetic to your needs. Probably the most important ingredient in a friendship is shared laughter. If you can still remember funny incidents years later your friendship will have stood the test of time. To have friends you need to be one. So if you want to have that invaluable gift in life learn about friends and how to make them and keep them.

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French soccer players have been given the boot by the country’s football authorities. They were, it seems, unimpressed with the teams behaviour in the World Cup. Surely, though, it is a question of blaming the wrong people? After all if there were problems in the camp they were there before the World Cup. They probably came to a head because of the pressure of the occasion. So it seems the authorities themselves are to blame. They should have known about the bad feelings in the camp and tackled the problem. They should also have known about the standard of play. They may not have had a Pele on the French team but the squad did have many household names. Then too if the players played badly the fault must lie with the coach and trainers not to mention the management. In the political world a Minister has to accept responsibility for his officials. If they make mistakes the Minister often resigns. Usually if a team fails the Manager resigns. So why in this case are the players suspended? Their behaviour and play was not admirable of course but the real question is whose fault was that? If soccer is the beautiful game some of the gloss has gone off it in France.

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