Team8s and Counting

172. How to Take Control

"Honestly, I feel the same way sometimes." Needle started to get flashbacks from her time competing throughout the course of BFDI. "I never really had that skill, especially back on the show. At first, I was always trying to get trusted by other people, but it never really worked, so I just decided to stop caring what other people thought and...let's just say I could get quite snappy at everyone."

Dimey really wanted to find the right balance in being a confident leader for the other kids. "I want people to listen to me, but I also don't want them to be mad at me!"

"And it's tough!" Needle exclaimed. "It feels like it can be an impossible balancing act sometimes. Mom often had trouble with it too, it took her a really long time for people to listen to her, but even then, she still had times where it was hard."

"Out of everyone on the show who I know, who would you say was the best at it?" Dimey asked, curious on what the answer would be.

Needle thought about it for a bit, but eventually, she came to an answer that she knew a lot of people on the show would agree with. "Honestly...I gotta give it to your Uncle Donut."

Dimey wasn't expecting him to be the answer. "Really?"

Needle nodded. "When our hosts went missing for a few episodes, Uncle Donut took over hosting duties until they were found. It was like, what, fifty something of us he had to take control of?"

"Wow!" Dimey was shocked. "That's a lot of people!"

Needle was still impressed with him to this day. "We had a lot to deal with, and Donut definitely had some people who weren't the biggest fans of him, but he pulled it off! Now that I think about it, it makes sense why he can handle being a hospital receptionist, it's a lot of managing people who are less than thrilled to be waiting in a hospital for hours!"

Dimey chuckled at the thought of Uncle Donut managing all those people. "Do you think he can help me?"

Needle paused for a minute. "I don't see why not, I'm sure he'd be happy to once we get home!"

Once they got home, Dimey approached Donut, who was sitting in the living room on his computer. The light from the lamp cast a warm glow over the table, and Dimey hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Uncle Donut?" he began, clutching his soccer ball nervously.

Donut looked up, his expression immediately softening. "What's up, big Dimey? Something on your mind?

Dimey sighed, looked down at his feet. "I want to know how to get people to listen to me. My mom told me all about how you were able to host everyone when you were on the show!"

Donut laughed, remembering his brief hosting days in BFB. ""Well, that was quite the wild ride," he said with a grin. "What do you want to know, exactly? Getting people to listen isn't always as easy as shouting orders, you know."

Dimey sat down on the couch, fidgeting with the soccer ball in his hands. "I just don't get it. Today at practice, Coach Pen trusted me to get everyone together, but nobody wanted to listen. I tried being nice, but they just ignored me. I didn't want to yell at them or be mean. How did you get so many people to follow what you said without them getting mad?"

Donut leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he thought for a moment. "Well, first off, it's not always about what you say—it's how you say it. When I was hosting, I had to figure out the right tone for different situations. Some people need a gentle nudge, while others respond better to confidence and authority. It's kind of like finding the right key to unlock each door."

Dimey furrowed his brow. "But how do you know what works for each person? I mean, I barely even know some of the kids on my team."

"That's the tricky part," Donut admitted. "I knew everyone quite well when I was on the show, but at the hospital it's a much different story. You just have to use your judgement. If people generally seem to be calm, it's probably only going to take a soft reminder for them to listen. However, if people seem to be blatantly ignoring you, then you might need to be a bit more assertive, while still remaining calm."

"That's the problem Uncle Donut!" Dimey said, bringing his hands to his sides. "How can I be calm and assertive?"

Donut chuckled and patted the couch cushion next to him, motioning for Dimey to sit closer. "It's tough, isn't it? But it's not impossible. Let me give you a trick I've learned: practice staying calm before you even need to be assertive. You know how in soccer, you don't wait until game day to practice your passes, right? You're always working on it, so it feels natural."

Dimey nodded. "Yeah, I guess. But how do you practice being calm?"

"Well," Donut said, leaning forward, "for me, it's about breathing. If I'm about to deal with something stressful at the hospital, I take a second to breathe deep and remind myself that I'm in control of my actions. Once you've got that calm in you, it's easier to speak in a way that shows confidence, even if you're not feeling it inside."

Dimey tried to imagine that. "So, like, if I'm trying to get the team together, I should take a deep breath first?"

"Exactly!" Donut said with a grin. "And then, speak clearly and directly. Not mean, not pleading—just firm. Something like, 'Coach needs us at the cones now. Let's get moving.' Say it like you expect them to listen. People can sense when you mean business."

Dimey nodded slowly, thinking back to the practice earlier. "And what if they still don't listen?"

Donut gave him a knowing smile. "Then you follow through. At the hospital, there will always be that one person with a relatively minor injury who won't give me a break. But I don't let it get to me, most of the time at least. Donut leaned in closer, his voice warm but firm. "If someone doesn't listen, you don't lose your cool. You just stay consistent. For example, if one of your teammates keeps goofing off, let them know calmly that they're holding up the team. Sometimes people respond better when they understand how their actions affect everyone else."

Dimey tilted his head. "So, instead of just telling them to go to the cones, I should explain why it's important?"

"Exactly!" Donut said, snapping his fingers. "Make it about the team, not just you. Something like, 'Coach Pen needs us all there to start the drill, and the longer we take, the less time we'll have to play the game.' People are more likely to listen when they know there's a reason."

Dimey smiled, feeling a flicker of confidence. "That actually makes sense. I guess I just need to sound like I know what I'm doing, even if I'm nervous inside."

"You're catching on, kiddo," Donut said, giving Dimey a friendly nudge. "And hey, if it doesn't work perfectly the first time, don't beat yourself up. Even the best leaders have off days, and not everyone is going to listen to you all the time. Just keep practicing, like you do with soccer. You'll get there."

Dimey stood up, gripping his soccer ball tightly. "Thanks, Uncle Donut. I'm going to try your advice at the next practice."

Donut smiled proudly. "That's the spirit, Dimey. And hey, if you ever need more tips, you know where to find me."

As Dimey headed off to his room, he felt a little better. He didn't have all the answers yet, but with Donut's advice, he was ready to keep trying. Soccer practice was his field, but maybe—just maybe—he could also learn to lead.

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Decided to change things up a little bit with a pairing I haven't gone that much into before! I apologize for not giving Donut many chapters before this (he is the hardest to write for me personally), and I hope you enjoyed seeing Donut use what he learned from BFDI to help one of the kids! Not much else to say, see you in the next chapter!

- Sunny