Mizzou Football Family Sacrifice

“I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” – Mia Hamm

These words apply to the goals and standards of the Mizzou Football Family. In order to achieve team success, your desires must be secondary to the team’s goals. Just like in a literal family unit, you must be flexible and aware of your family’s needs. If teammates cannot sacrifice their schedules and comfort for the family, they will not be able to contribute to the team’s success.

Here are the standards that constitute the Mizzou Football Family Covenant:

You are committed to excellence, not only as an athlete, but also as a student-athlete. Your success and achievements are for the family.

All individual goals and accomplishments are secondary to the family’s success. Jealousy, selfishness, and individualism are extremely destructive to the family.

A Missouri Tiger football player gives his all—all the time. He never gives up and he never gives in.

You must have a winning attitude.

In a family, rules are in place in order to foster trust, care, and responsibility. A great organization does not thrive without standards, and a family cannot flourish without strong bonds and clear expectations. The Mizzou Football Family finds true Tigers through commitment to the program. When a player upholds these standards, he is meant to be a member of the team.

How do you know when you are giving your full effort to the family’s success? Here are some identifiers:

Teammate trust: Can your teammates trust you? Communication between players and coaches is crucial. When you have effective communication, you build trust, which produces relationship and accountability.

Commitment to the Player Development Program: True Tigers are enthusiastic competitors. They know their assignments and know how to complete the task at hand in an effective manner.

Family care: You must care about winning and make personal sacrifices so that your family can win. It is not easy to be selfless. If it were, everyone on every team would be doing it.

Above all, Mizzou Tigers know that being a part of the family is a privilege, not a right. Their commitment to the Missouri Family Covenant means time and self-sacrifice, and they are willing to do it all for the family.