Suppose you were playing outside forward in a football match, and you
were on the ball with a good opening for a run before you, when you
suddenly heard your captain shout "Centre!" What would you do? Go on
with the ball, or pass it to a centre player?
You would, of course, obey the captain's order and pass it.
Why?
Because you know that if every fellow played the game for his own fun
and glory, his side would never win--the team would be all over the
place.
To prevent this, each player has got his certain allotted place in the
field, and the captain, who is best placed for seeing how the game is
going on, is able to give directions that will help his side to win.
Of course, the success depends on every player doing his best to carry
out his captain's orders efficiently and well.
It is not only in football or hockey that this system brings success,
but in every game of life.
We see it just now on a very big scale at the Front--in the great game
of war--where men obey their captains' orders not only when it is
inconvenient to them to do so, but often when it means danger and
death to them. But in doing it they well know that, though they are
sacrificing themselves, they are helping their side to win; and that
is the right, spirit in which to play the game of life.
Therefore, even in small things, get yourself into the habit, of
obeying orders whether or not you like doing it.
If you can thus make a practice of it in small everyday matters like
obeying your parents at home, or your Patrol-leader when scouting,
obedience will come quite natural to you in the bigger duties of life,
and you will then be looked upon by both your comrades and your
officers as a really valuable man--one who can be trusted to play in
his place and to play the game in obedience to the rules and to his
captain, not for his own glorification but in order that his side may
win.
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