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Mental Attitude
What makes a good player great? Sound fundamentals? Great techniques? Size? Strength? Speed? Mental Toughness? How about attitude?
Attitude can be defined as the ability to except situations and make them work in your favor. Losers never seem to know why they lose. They blame the officials for bad calls, poor playing conditions, their teammates, and even the coach. Winners on the other hand, play above the problems of the situation. A wise man once said, "It is not what life hands us, but what we do with it."
What is the most important measurement of an athlete? Is it height? Wing span? Vertical jump? How much they can bench? No, the most important measurement is the six inches between your ears. Winning and losing comes down to who can stay focused. Great athletes never let their opponents or conditions control their performance. They are mentally tough, mentally conditioned. It is easy to get frustrated when the pressure and mistakes happen. The more you dwell on it problem, the more it occurs. Opponents talk trash, you lose your cool. You lose your concentration, your focus, and ultimately you just plan lose. If an opponent can pull you out of your game, who wins?
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 athletes never take losing well. If you gave 100 percent, and were defeated, then there is no shame in having lost. Give credit to your opponent who competed better on that given day. Learn from the loss, evaluate your performance, then let it go. The respect you will gain from both your opponents and the fans on both sides are well worth it.
Conditioning
Stay in great 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 necessary amount of rest, run at least three days a week, hits the weights, and most of all stay away from drugs and alcohol. Working out on your own isn't easy, it takes discipline. Vince Lombardi, the great head coach of the Green Bay Packers said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Coach Lombardi was right. To lose a competition because you run out of gas is unforgivable. If you lose, make sure it was because they outplayed you, not because they were in better shape.
Until the Fat Lady Sings
Never, no never, never give up! Winners never quit. Finding a way to win is the mark of a great competitor. Nothing is impossible if you believe. Abraham Lincoln said, "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." You will be surprised 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 athlete who continues to be persistent usually comes out on top. Show enthusiasm! Have fun! Make a commitment to excel, you find continual improvement. When things you did yesterday still look big to you today, well then you haven't done much today. There is no substitute for practice. Keep after it. Don't count the days...make each day count. The only person that can keep you from reaching your potential - is you!
Teammates
Committed athletes criticize themselves, not their teammates. Everyone has room for improvement, no matter what the level of competition. Talking trash about a teammate shortcomings never helps improve your game. Take an interest in your team, friendships will grow along with the success of the team. King Solomon once said, "As iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another." You are the key. Sharpen your teammates. Bring them to the next level of performance. You raise the bar, and others will follow.
Leadership
Never be afraid to take charge, be a leader. When a teammate get down, pick them up. Be an encourager. Be the first one to practice and the last one to leave. You don't have to lead by your words, but you can lead by your actions. Bust your butt, go hard. Be enthusiastic. Set the tone, set the pace. Be the example to follow. Be an athlete who believes. Be a "CAN DO" athlete. Never say "can't"...don't ever let that four-letter word come out of your mouth!
Final Thoughts
Play hard! Get after it! Never take yourself so serious that you forget to smell the roses. Enjoy competition, and learn the lessons that competition brings to life. Take what it gives you and apply it to what life throws your way. You can not always control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond. Be mentally tough. Stay focussed. Remember to concentrate on what is important. Evaluate, then learn from it.
Be the best you can be. Champions are made, never born. Ability can get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
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