Gaining the Winning Edge 

By Rick Newkirk 

What does it take to make a champion..... is it... Fundamentals.... Size..... Strength..... Speed?

This article points to seven important building blocks that are the foundational support of building a champion. Make sure you are not coming up short on your quest to be the best!

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Mental Attitude

Is the ability to except situations and make them work in your favor. Loser never seem to know why they lose. They blame the officials for bad calls, blame the playing conditioning, their teammates, etc. Winners on the other had play above the problems. A wise man once said, "It is not what life hands us, but what we do about it."

Winning and losing comes down to who can stay focused. Great players never let their opponents or outside conditions control their game. They are mentally tough, mentally conditioned. It is easy to get frustrated when pressure and mistakes happen. The more you dwell on it, the more mistakes you will make. You need to stay under control. If an opponent can pull you out of a game, who wins? Once you are mad, you're done.

Sportsmanship

Show sportsmanship! It is easy to be a good winner, but it takes real class to hold your head up after a tough loss. Great players never take losing well. If you gave 110% during the game, and you were beaten, there is no shame in having lost. Give credit to the team who played better on that given day. Learn from it and let it go. The respect you'll gain from opponents and fans on both sides are well worth it.

Conditioning

Stay in shape! A hero is no braver than the ordinary person, but they are braver five minutes longer.  Spend as much time caring for your body as you put into your game. Eat well, get the correct amount of rest, run three times a week, most of all stay away from drugs and alcohol. Working out on your own isn't easy, but as Coach Lombardi said, "fatigue makes cowards of us all." To lose a contest because you run out of gas is unforgivable. If you lose a competition, make sure it was because they were better than you, not in better shape.

Until the Fat Lady Sings

Never give up! Winners never quit. "The person who wins may have been counted out several times, but they didn't hear the referee" (Jansen). Finding a way to win is the mark of a great team. I have watched as our team made up nine points in ten seconds. Nothing is impossible when you believe. You will be suprised what can happen when you never give up.

Commitment and Hard Work

Work hard and be aggressive. Never be out hustled or out fought. The team who is persistent usually comes out on top. Show enthusiasm! Nothing is ever work, unless you would rather be doing something else. Make a commitment to excel, you never stop improving. When things you did yesterday still look big to you today, you haven't done much today. There is no substitute for practice. Don't count the days...make each day count! The only person that keeps you on the bench and from being a starter....is you!

Teammates

Strong players criticize themselves, not their teammates. Everyon has room for improvement no matter what the level of play, and talking about someone else shortcomings never helps improve your game. Take an interest in your squad and friendships will grow along with the success of the team. Remember, there is no "I" in team. It takes everyone working together to become successful.

Leadership

Never be afraid to take charge. When a teammate gets down pick them up with some encouragement and get it back on track. At practice be the first one there and the last one to leave. Never take any opponent for granted, respect everyones ability. Be a player who says, "CAN", not "can't". Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. Be a total player!

Final Thoughts

Play hard! But never take yourself so serious that you forget to smell the roses. Enjoy the game, many lessons about life are taught from your adventures in sport. Take what it has to give you and apply it. Throw the rest away.

Be mentally tough, never let what happens during a contest take you out of your focus. Concentrate on what is important. Be the best you can be, and the best will come back to you. Champions are made, never born. Ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there!