Dec 03, 2015 | Allan Heyman | 1283 views
Fight to Win!
A winning attitude is essential for the success of a champion. It is not enough to be the best; a winner must also believe that he is ready and that he will do everything that is necessary to win.
We often speak of hockey players as tough athletes that can withstand hardship, both mentally and physically. This stereotype of those who share the arena lifestyle comes from the need for elite players to face the discomforts and the challenges associated with continuously pushing back their limits.
It is prodigious for a team of young men to strive together in achieving a common goal, yet require the sacrifices of all of its members to reach that goal. The selflessness that comes from it will define the athletes throughout their lives as they are able to think of the success that they visualize and let it animate them with much more passion than the will to stick to their comfort.
When players get working together in practices, they push each other to attain a new set of goals each time. Whether consciously or simply by adhering to the team mentality, their hard work is what will help their teammates achieve their goals and what will allow the team to reach the common objective.
As the athletes work harder and harder each time, the competition comes to mind. Elite athletes are driven by the need to excel and it stems from deep within themselves. Winning is not the goal that coaches will fix for the players' development and it isn't the reason that brings all those outstanding young men together. However, winning is the goal of the game, so for athletes of a competitive nature, one doesn't go without the other. Success may not be defined in wins and losses, but the end result of this game is! The advancement into this tournament depends on it! The next round of playoffs is conditional to the win! And it's not a bad thing.
If we come to fear to talk about winning, we must remember that this is a game. If I play Monopoly, I sure as hell hate to loose. If I play a video game, I do feel the urge to throw my remote when my friend beats me. Well when I play hockey, I want to win. Being a winner doesn't mean winning at all cost. It doesn't mean winning over having fun. It doesn't mean winning over pushing my teammates. It doesn't mean winning above respecting the officials, the coaches or the opponents. It doesn't mean winning above caring for my friends. It doesn't mean winning above my own health.
Winning means working harder and better than my opponent. Winning means showing more teamwork than the other team. Winning means committing and trusting in my team more than the need to close down in the face of hardship. Winning means taking a hit, a shot, a slash or a shove because bruises don't matter. Winning means standing between the big guy on the other side and my teammate on the ice because I know my teammate will give as much back to the team to win. Winning means pushing through when I feel tired, sore or hungry. Winning means caring more about the pass I'll make during the next shift than the shot I missed in the passed one. Winning means cheering when things go well and giving even more when things don't work out.
Life is unfair. Events won't always go our way. Some people are naturally better than us at certain things. You may not always be ready to face a challenge. It may be hard to bounce back. At the end of the day, however, if you choose to work hard, give up on excuses, apply yourself to do your best and win at what you do, life is just like a big game of hockey. Game after game, season after season. No matter how much you want it, you may not always get it the first time. It's ok that we lost that one game. But tomorrow, I'll be working hard. I'll get better and I'll come back out. I'll outwork the other team and then we'll see. And if I still don't succeed, well I'm not about to give up, because I want to win. I am driven to get better until I can win.
Dad and mom, the teacher and the coach, my friends, my siblings, my teammates and my pets. I can count on them to have fun, to teach me, to spend good time and to share great experiences with me. But if I want to win, it comes down to me. What am I ready to leave on that ice? What am I ready to give my team today? How far will I take my teammates this shift? Am I ready to be a winner?