"Chemistry and Attitude"

Ever since my little girl was born 8 years ago this coming November 4, I've been trying to instill in her the reality that attitude trumps talent. I don't know what talents she has yet, she's still in the process of developing them, but in the course of her life, she's going to have to work at things that are NOT her speciality, and in those moments of challenge, she's going to have to realize that a positive attitude will see her through to success.

I thought of that a couple of days ago when I watched the Philadelphia Phillies Phinish their Phantastic, even fenomenal season. Even though they are not my boys -- my boys wear blue -- I still get a kick out of watching the celebration of winning teams. I get the dog pile. The champagne makes sense. The jubilation, jumping and jiving are fun to watch. After a long, grueling season, the moment of accomplishment must be almost impossible to contain. It erupts on the pitching mound. Mound Vesuvius flows with molten glee.

The Phillies are no doubt talented. But are they the most talented? One could argue that there were a lot of teams equally talented. So why did they win?

Maybe the best explanation would be Charlie Manuel's, the manager. When asked by a reporter what made the difference this season, why they were the champions, his answer was quick and short: Chemistry and Attitude.

He didn't talk of how good his players were. He talked of how they got along, made each other better, kept each other accountable and had a "winning attitude." There were several teams with better records than Philly, but in the end they stood on top because of team chemistry and great attitudes.

As a coach for 19 years now, I've come to realize that most of our kids come already preloaded with their attitudes. They're hardwired into them and there's not much I can do to radically alter their world view. (That's why I'm trying like the dickens to get my daughter to fashion a can-do attitude early.) I agree with Manuel, though, that when it comes to great teams, chemistry takes the cake. Throw the most talented athletes in the world together and it doesn't guarantee a winning record if they can't get along.

Our teams have enjoyed positive chemistry now for a few seasons, and our boys have it in spades this year. It's fun to watch. We're not the most naturally talented crew in the Section, though we have a fair dose of it. But we are running circles around other teams when it comes to the singular goal of "getting along."

What will that mean for us down the stretch? I'm not sure, but if the Pholks in Philly are any indication, there could be a dog pile going on. We'll see.