This weekend I was watching a college football preview show and they were doing a special segment on the University of Florida's football team and their strength and conditioning program. Watching the special segment, I happened to hear a comment made by one of the football players to another player during their workout. It was at a time where the player was visually fatigued towards the end of a specific workout and the other player motivated him by saying "be a champion". This short little modo or quote really caught my attention because as I started thinking more and more about the short little clip, I began to realize why the University of Florida has recently been so successful...they think and prepare like champions. After seeing this short clip on ESPN and then reading an article featuring Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan, Florida's head football and basketball coaches, detailing thier friendship and strong relationship, I believe Florida will continue to be college sports'...true champions!
Below are a few experpts from an article by Donald Trump, "Focus on the Top and You'll Get There". The article explains the same information on how to become a "champion" and what it takes to become a 'champion'.
"Some champions are born and some champions are made. A champion may be someone who shows marked superiority, who places first in a competition. A champion can also be someone who comes out on top, overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. Endurance, self-sacrafice and determination are the qualities of a true champion."
"Champions want to achieve something special. Ordinary wouldn't be enough for someone who has the mindset of a champion. Champions think big. Champions work toward big goals. Champions are focused. Champions are disciplined. Champions think like champions." As Jack Dempsey once was quoted, "A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
You can learn alot from watching professionals, whether it is in sports, the arts, or whatever. One thing they all have in common is the same mindset- they WANT to win, they WANT to be the best, not the runner-up: the best! That's a very rare and important quality. I have seen very talented people fail because deep down inside they were afraid of winning. "Winning comes with responsibility." Champions rise to take on that responsibility. Are you ready to take on that responsibility?
Not everyone can be a champion, but you can strive to be the best you can be. Striving to be the best is the first step in becoming a champion. "Champions go the extra mile. We all know when we've done just enought to get by and when we have really exerted ourselves. Make an effort to exert yourself-every day. Don't fail because you never allowed yourself to get started!"
Any champion will tell you that preparation is the key to success. "The difference between someone who is successful and someone who isn't is not about talent; it's about preparation." A perfect example of this would be the Windber boy's basketball team in 1999, who advanced to the PIAA State semi-finals. Being faced with an extremely talented, athletic George Jr. Republic team, with several division I college basketball prospects, nobody was giving the Ramblers a chance against what many were calling the best team in the state! Who would...the Ramblers were out-sized, out-talented, they were slower and weaker than George Jr. But the Ramblers were not out-prepared or out-disciplined or out-worked. The Ramblers had more heart. The Ramblers believed in themselves and their coaches and overcame the odds to not only beat George Jr., but completely shocked the entire state of Pennsylvania by winning by more than 20 points. The Ramblers were able to win because of their preparation and belief in themselves and their coaches...they had mindsets of true champions! They prepared themselves, expecting to win. This attitude enabled them to achieve victory. They were not afraid to miss a shot or loose the ball or have their shot blocked...they were not afraid of failing because failing never crossed their minds.
What do team sports do for you in the 'game of life'? Those who were involved in athletics are taught how to handle pressure, control doubt, and come through in difficult times. "Some people are born with the confidence to win, but most people acquire that self-confidence through a powerful combination of ambition and discipline." These attributes can be achieved through participating in athletics. "The imagination to dream big combined with the focus and self-discipline needed to realize the dream is the mark of a true champion."
Champions also know how to handle losing better than the average competitor. When they lose they do not become distracted or demoralized. Instead, they turn failure into an opportunity to learn from it. A perfect example is the USA senior olympic team, coached by Mike Krzryewski of Duke. A team assembled last spring, made up of NBA superstars, failed to win the tournament last summer that would have guaranteed them a spot in the 2008 Olympics. This failure opened up a wave of criticism and questioned whether the rest of the world was passing the US by in basketball. However, instead of buying in to the critism and questioning, the USA team re-assembled this summer to prepare themselves for the preliminary tournament, that would give them another chance to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. The USA team did not become distracted and remained focused toward winning the tournament. They are more prepared and committed toward achieving success. A loss does not define the team or an athlete. Instead, it teaches them what they need to do next time.
So ho do you become a winner? As stated earlier, you have to be willing to put forth the time and sacrafice. You have to have the willingness to prepare. You have to have a goal and the ambition and discipline to keep you on path towards achieving that goal. You cannot be afraid of failure and willing to learn from previous failures. You also have to be willing to learn from those who have been winners themselves by studying their habits and routines. You must believe within yourself and your teammates and coaches. You must believe that you deserve to win. "To be a champion, you have to think like a champion!"
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