Recently, I was told a story about an anthropologist who went to Africa to study the social behavior of tribes.
One day, he proposed a game to some of the tribal children. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told the kids to stand many yards away. Then he told them that upon his signal the kids could race to the tree and whoever got to the basket first would win all the contents of the basket. He signaled for them to go but instead of racing against each other they all grabbed hands and ran together, reaching the basket at the same time. At this point, the children sat in a circle (as to include everyone) and shared the fruits, laughing and smiling with each other. When the anthropologist asked the children why they had run like that when a single winner could’ve had all the fruits for him or herself, the children, in unison, replied, “Ubuntu.” Then one child explained further saying that Ubuntu means how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad? Ubuntu means “I am because we are.”
Desmond Tutu explained the idea of Ubuntu further by saying that we as individuals can’t exist in isolation. When you have Ubuntu, you are generous and connected and realize what you do affects others. A person with Ubuntu has self-assurance knowing that they are part of a greater whole. They are sad when others are mistreated, humiliated, diminished or oppressed.
I truly believe that wonderful things can happen when we are watching out for others and putting the needs of the entire group above our own. Basketball coach and ESPN commentator, Jeff Van Gundy said, “The best teams play for each other, not with each other.” And Harry S. Truman said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”
All of this is true in my opinion and as an educator, coach, lifelong learner, parent and now athletic administrator, I say this: A group of people working together is not a team and does not have Ubuntu unless they respect each other and trust in one another completely. They must have a genuine concern for helping the others in order to truly be successful. I believe that it is very little about the individual and so much more about the group or team. When the team is successful, each individual within that team is successful.
Case in point is the Western Wyoming Community College wrestling team of the past 2017-2018 season. They truly lived by our WWCC Athletic Department motto of “Good People, Good Students, Good Athletes,” in that order.
As a result, this collective unit and every member of that team have truly left their mark. They are one of the greatest groups I have had the pleasure of working with. They demonstrated that they were indeed great young men first, by the way they carried themselves, performed community service and supported the other teams in the athletic department.
Secondly, they collectively earned a second-place finish nationally, within the NJCAA for their academic accomplishments as a team.
After all that, they earned a fourth-place finish as wrestlers at Nationals.
Eight young men made the trip to wrestle at the national tournament, but every day of practice leading up to that tournament, those eight wrestled against and with members of their team, who strived to make their teammates better wrestlers. That was the job of those who didn’t go to Nationals--to prepare their teammates for battle. Because of the work of all members of this team, day in and day out, this squad produced eight National qualifiers, with five All-Americans, including two national champions.
Of course, each of these eight young men is to be commended for their individual efforts, but they would be the first to tell you that they were primed and ready because of the teammates.
That is Ubuntu. Have a great day and remember, “I am because we are.”
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