---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you play on a team, you learn that…"
description: "\"When you play on a team, you learn that there will always be five guys you like, a bunch of guys who are OK, and five you despise. The trick to getting..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg"
---

#  When you play on a team, you learn that there will always…

![“When you play on a team, you learn that there will always be five guys you like, a bunch of guys who are OK, and five you despise. The trick to getting along in any system is not to worry about the five you despise.” quote by D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg)

> “When you play on a team, you learn that there will always be five guys you like, a bunch of guys who are OK, and five you despise. The trick to getting along in any system is not to worry about the five you despise.”

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Team dynamics involve a mix of liked, neutral, and disliked members, and focusing on the disliked hinders cooperation.

**In simple terms:** Ignore the people you dislike to work better with a team.

Key Takeaway

Focus on collaboration, not resentment.

Themes

teamwork relationships conflict management

Mood

pragmatic reflective

Type

advice observational

When to use this quote

- workplace
- sports teams
- project groups
- classrooms

Key Concepts

social psychology group dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you improve interactions with difficult teammates?
- What strategies reduce focus on negative relationships?

A Different Perspective

Neglecting issues with disliked members can cause unresolved tension.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bunch Guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bunch-guys-303525/) [Five Guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-guys/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Getting along](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-along/) [Guys Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guys-like-237329/) [Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-team-327810/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) [Team Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team-learn-1362842/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/) [Worry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worry/)

## Related quotes

> [Growing up in Australia and the way I was raised, my dad told me to play as a team and to be a team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-simmons/growing-up-in-australia-and-the-way-i-was-raised-my-dad-told-me-to/)

[Ben Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-simmons/)

> [You have learn to hire a management team, you have to learn how to manage You have to want success so badly that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-conway/you-have-learn-to-hire-a-management-team-you-have-to-learn-how-to/)

[Ron Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-conway/)

> [At Real Madrid, we have many good players that the team can learn from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-ramos/at-real-madrid-we-have-many-good-players-that-the-team-can-learn-from/)

[Sergio Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-ramos/)

> [If we want to be a good team, you have to learn how to practice every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-marchand/if-we-want-to-be-a-good-team-you-have-to-learn-how-to-practice-every/)

[Brad Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-marchand/)

> [Stars don't necessarily make a good team and that is what we must learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-jay-okocha/stars-don-t-necessarily-make-a-good-team-and-that-is-what-we-must/)

[Jay-Jay Okocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-jay-okocha/)

> [If you begin to think business whether you own it or work for it like you would a well managed sports team you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strive-masiyiwa/if-you-begin-to-think-business-whether-you-own-it-or-work-for-it-like/)

[Strive Masiyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strive-masiyiwa/)

> [Leader, the more time you spend helping your team learn to make wise decisions the less time you'll spend trying to solve their problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leader-the-more-time-you-spend-helping-your-team-learn-to-make-wise/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Without discipline the Army would just be a bunch of guys wearing the same color clothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/without-discipline-the-army-would-just-be-a-bunch-of-guys-wearing-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [What I like about it is that I'm not somebody who's in movies. I'm a guy who's not very good going around the track…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/what-i-like-about-it-is-that-i-m-not-somebody-who-s-in-movies-i-m-a/)

[Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/)

> [Wouldn't it be funny if that girl got raped by like, 5 guys right now? Like right now? What if a bunch of guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-tosh/wouldn-t-it-be-funny-if-that-girl-got-raped-by-like-5-guys-right-now/)

[Daniel Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-tosh/)

> [A bunch of guys are going to look at me and say hey, this guy made a mistake but he didn't quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-ramirez/a-bunch-of-guys-are-going-to-look-at-me-and-say-hey-this-guy-made-a/)

[Manny Ramirez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-ramirez/)

> [We might have the worst bunch of guys together we've ever seen as a football team. I don't know what anybody else has, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-ryan/we-might-have-the-worst-bunch-of-guys-together-we-ve-ever-seen-as-a/)

[Buddy Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-ryan/)

> [You're sitting with some guys, and you're playing and you go, "Ooh, yeah!" That feeling is worth more than anything. There's a certain moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-richards/you-re-sitting-with-some-guys-and-you-re-playing-and-you-go-ooh-yeah/)

[Keith Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-richards/)

> [As a young actor, there's a very small group of kids, just a handful. As you get older, all of a sudden, there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-schroder/as-a-young-actor-there-s-a-very-small-group-of-kids-just-a-handful-as/)

[Ricky Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-schroder/)

> [If you surround yourself with a bunch of guys who no mas se quieren puro pari and are like, "Aaah, let's go get some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-iglesias/if-you-surround-yourself-with-a-bunch-of-guys-who-no-mas-se-quieren/)

[Gabriel Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-iglesias/)

## More by D. B. Sweeney

> [Whether or not your person wins or loses, give him a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/whether-or-not-your-person-wins-or-loses-give-him-a-chance/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I don't play the bass. I'm not in a band. I tried to think of ways I could touch base with the troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-don-t-play-the-bass-i-m-not-in-a-band-i-tried-to-think-of-ways-i/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I had heard that Robert Duvall was interested in doing 'Lonesome Dove,' and he's one of those actors with whom I'd work on any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-had-heard-that-robert-duvall-was-interested-in-doing-lonesome-dove/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I think Ovechkin is everything the NHL needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-think-ovechkin-is-everything-the-nhl-needs/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [If you skate with an Olympic level skater, they make you so much better because you're skating behind them, and you're trying to imitate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/if-you-skate-with-an-olympic-level-skater-they-make-you-so-much/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I think you have to do certain things in the pilot to get your network's attention - to break through... So maybe you push…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-think-you-have-to-do-certain-things-in-the-pilot-to-get-your/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [Why should a filmmaker turn over the irreplaceable asset, the movie, to a distribution center?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/why-should-a-filmmaker-turn-over-the-irreplaceable-asset-the-movie-to/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [Any time I get to work a home game, it's awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/any-time-i-get-to-work-a-home-game-it-s-awesome/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [When I played sports, if you lose the game, and then you complain, that makes you a sore loser. That doesn't make you protester…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/when-i-played-sports-if-you-lose-the-game-and-then-you-complain-that/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I'm so proud and honored to have been in 'Lonesome Dove' and 'Eight Men Out.' How come I'm not known for one of those?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-m-so-proud-and-honored-to-have-been-in-lonesome-dove-and-eight-men/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I have never been one of those actors who say, 'Oh, my character wouldn't do this,' or 'My character never wears an orange shirt,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-have-never-been-one-of-those-actors-who-say-oh-my-character-wouldn/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [To anybody who says to me, 'I'm in character,' I say, 'You should be in an asylum.' If you don't know that you're pretending,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/to-anybody-who-says-to-me-i-m-in-character-i-say-you-should-be-in-an/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [Joe Jackson was a tragic figure. He was a serene country boy who signed a confession he couldn't read. He was illiterate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/joe-jackson-was-a-tragic-figure-he-was-a-serene-country-boy-who/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [I had a teacher senior year in high school. He was a theater teacher, and he basically was a little bit like 'High School…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-had-a-teacher-senior-year-in-high-school-he-was-a-theater-teacher/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

> [Fifty-million-dollar movies gobble up the medium movies. A lot of people aren't working in Hollywood because of this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/fifty-million-dollar-movies-gobble-up-the-medium-movies-a-lot-of/)

[D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

[Explore all 82 D. B. Sweeney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/)

## More Football quotes

> [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/)

[Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/)

> [If you take your eye off the ball or lose focus for even a minute you can lose a game against any team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-anderson/if-you-take-your-eye-off-the-ball-or-lose-focus-for-even-a-minute-you/)

[Felipe Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-anderson/)

> [There are guys who play lacrosse, and there are lacrosse players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-mundorf/there-are-guys-who-play-lacrosse-and-there-are-lacrosse-players/)

[Brendan Mundorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-mundorf/)

> [Giggs is the realest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kaluuya/giggs-is-the-realest/)

[Daniel Kaluuya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kaluuya/)

> [You get a new coach; you do things a little differently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-manning/you-get-a-new-coach-you-do-things-a-little-differently/)

[Archie Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-manning/)

> [You gotta have a little kid in you to play football.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-edwards/you-gotta-have-a-little-kid-in-you-to-play-football/)

[Herman Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-edwards/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [My team mates are fundamental for my characteristics, if they send in crosses I can play inside the area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filippo-inzaghi/my-team-mates-are-fundamental-for-my-characteristics-if-they-send-in/)

[Filippo Inzaghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filippo-inzaghi/)

> [The Copa del Rey is a different competition. It is football in its purest form and is different from the continuity of the league.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-laudrup/the-copa-del-rey-is-a-different-competition-it-is-football-in-its/)

[Michael Laudrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-laudrup/)

> [“Wild card, got it," Duncan said. "Just like in Crazy Eights. I can be a diamond; I can be a spade. Whatever you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-healy/wild-card-got-it-duncan-said-just-like-in-crazy-eights-i-can-be-a/)

[Christopher Healy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-healy/)

> [Leo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Eden. Every year, you look at their numbers - score goals, assists, minutes - to see they play very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro/leo-cristiano-ronaldo-neymar-eden-every-year-you-look-at-their/)

[Pedro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro/)

> [It's a lot harder to play football when you haven't got the ball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gray/it-s-a-lot-harder-to-play-football-when-you-haven-t-got-the-ball/)

[Andy Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gray/)

> [I just enjoy winning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-bogaerts/i-just-enjoy-winning/)

[Xander Bogaerts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-bogaerts/)

> [I think you can get, as a player, stuck in the mindset of trying too hard to prove yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trinity-rodman/i-think-you-can-get-as-a-player-stuck-in-the-mindset-of-trying-too/)

[Trinity Rodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trinity-rodman/)

> [We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/we-cannot-change-the-cards-we-are-dealt-just-how-we-play-the-hand/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

[Browse all 59,646 Football quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When you play on a team, you learn that there will always be five guys you like, a bunch of guys who are OK, and five you despise. The trick to getting along in any system is not to worry about the five you despise.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "D. B. Sweeney"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-there-will-always-be-five-guys/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Football"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-there-will-always-be-five-guys/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a30/d-b-sweeney-8233_football_when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-t_3085321.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you play on a team, you learn that there will always be five guys you like, a bunch of guys who are OK…” — D. B. Sweeney",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "D. B. Sweeney",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When you play on a team,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-there-will-always-be-five-guys/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/when-you-play-on-a-team-you-learn-that-there-will-always-be-five-guys/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
