In any sport, when a team has the upper hand whether through having better players or a big lead in the score, their coach will often encourage them by saying, “We play to win.” So often, teams that have the upper hand will play down to the level of their competition. Instead of playing to win, they start playing to not lose. In those times, they will often let the competition come back and, many times, beat them.

As a cross-country skier, I have to train all year. Since we have not had much snow in the last couple of years, we have had to do dry-land training so that when the snow comes we are ready. Skiing is both a team and an individual sport, and we train for endurance, technique and strength. And although we have a team behind us encouraging us along the way to keep us going and making us want to succeed, it is still up to us as individuals how much we put into the sport.

I used to love going to airports when I was in college. My teammates, coaches and I would proudly sport our team sweats as we went through security, grabbed coffee and waited for the plane. As a bunch of women all dressed the same we were definitely noticed and we were never alone; we experienced the trip together. I just loved being a part of a team.

NFL coach-turned-analyst Herman Edwards calls it like it is. You may or may not agree with him, but you will certainly not be bored. He isn't afraid to be open and honest based on his years of experience as a player and coach, and he doesn’t beat around the bush.