Who are You Becoming?

Second Place Champions?

A question that I had to ask myself time and time again was, “Is winning everything?”

Some people would say, “Spoken like a true loser!”

And I would say fair.

Now that we got that out the way, let’s actually think about it. Is winning everything? When we started off four years ago, winning wasn’t even a conversation. The real thing was trying to score a basket and try to not get too many turnovers.

Winning is something that is external. Something that happens on a score board. Winning creates this atmosphere of entitlement.

During that tournament which I wasn’t able to be at, they ended up losing in the championship. And getting second place. Some people may say it was a sad ending to the entire journey. But for some reason I believe that this was the greatest ending.

Like I said in the beginning of this whole series, we never got new players (unless they were younger coming in). We never came in with something fancy. There was a growth spurt but nothing over 6 feet.

And yet. We were playing in the championship.

How?

Because we were obsessed with winning?

No.

If we were obsessed, we would have shut down the program and started with a new sport.

We were in the championship because we knew how to fight.

We were not obsessed with winning. We were obsessed with becoming the type of players who win games.

People didn’t know where we came from.

Loosing game after game after game could have pushed us out the picture, but instead it caused us to rise into the type of people who don’t give up no matter what. The type of player that can take a loss, but you can guarantee that we will learn from it and grow.

We became the type of team who aren’t afraid to step up to giants because even though they won’t fall this year or next doesn’t mean that with persistence and focus we can’t knock them down eventually. We became fearless in the face of adversary.

We became deadly in the face of opportunity.

We became focused.

We became more.

While other teams worked to “beef-up” their team with new bigger and faster recruits. Our team locked in, stepped up and became the stronger and the faster.

What can get in our way?

What can stop us?

When you look at your focus what is it? Are you obsessed with winning? Has that cause you to cut corners? Maybe look past the people? Who have you benched looking for someone else?

Winning makes you look passed the people and onto the scoreboard.

But what about the people in the room?

What about your team?

What would happen if you turned them into being elite? What would happen if they were your focus? What if you didn’t just focus on their skills but their belief system? What if you focused on the way they talked to others and how they were at home with their family? What if you helped them to become unbreakable? What if you helped them to become resilient?

Games are guaranteed to be won by those who are resilient.

Because often people will not be ready for what life throws at them. Even though you can win sport games. The game of life is much less forgiving.

Resilience is a must.

When they came back from the tournament I danced. It was probably the first time they saw me ever do that.

Parents were shocked.

But these boys receive the fruit of their labor! This was the first trophy ever brought back to the school. They had to start a trophy case, just for them.

Though they didn’t win first place. They are champions! That is without a doubt.

What about you?

What about your team?

How are you leading them?

What needs to change?

Whether you’re scoring four points in a game, or you’re champions ask yourself…

Who are you becoming?