Muhammad Ali was famously known for saying, “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was.” While this can be taken as a very prideful statement, I believe Ali was on to something important. If we want to be a champion, if we want to be the greatest, we have to believe that ability lives inside of us. WE HAVE TO ACT LIKE A CHAMPION. Ali acted like a champion and believed he was a champion even before he was a champion. Mindset matters.
With this in mind, I asked our Senior Group to brainstorm characteristics of champions. Here is the list they came up with:
*Champions are SUPPORTIVE
*Champions are MOTIVATED
*Champions are MENTALLY STRONG
*Champions SPEAK POSITIVELY
*Champions ALWAYS PUT TEAMMATES BEFORE THEMSELVES
*Champions are NEVER SATISFIED
*Champions DO NOT COMPARE THEMSELVES TO OTHERS
*Champions are HUMBLE
*Champions have a GOOD ATTITUDE
*Champions TRAIN HARD
*Champions are A FRUIT LOOP IN A WORLD OF CHEERIOS (are not afraid to be different)
*Champions ALWAYS GIVE THEIR BEST EFFORT
*Champions practice GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP
*Champions LEAD BY EXAMPLE
*Champions VALUE HARD WORK
What do you notice about this list? Do you have to be the fastest swimmer in the pool to be A CHAMPION? Are these qualities limited to our time in the pool?
No!
Speed does not matter – being a champion extends far beyond how fast you swim or which meets you are qualified for. Acting like a champion means that we carry ourselves in a manner that allows us to be the best version of ourselves we can be both in and out of the water. As a coaching staff, we strive to create an environment where champions are inevitable. Our goal is to use swimming to help our athletes develop the qualities listed above. If they can learn how to be a champion in the pool, they will be able to be champions in other areas of their lives as well. I hope every athlete on our team ACTS LIKE A CHAMPION and believes in their ability to do great things. Each person has the opportunity to contribute something incredible not only to our team but in the surrounding community.
BELIEVE YOU ARE A CHAMPION.
ACT LIKE A CHAMPION.
BE A CHAMPION.
ATOM Nation 