What is a Champion?

The Play Like a Champion Today(R) Educational series focuses on producing “Champions” in sport and in life. Being a “Champion” means much more than being a winning athlete. It means being a leader, a team player, a hard worker, someone who demonstrates good sportsmanship, and someone who can take the lessons they have learned from sports to fuel their own growth and development and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Champions are formed through genuinely loving the sports they play, and sports should be a way for them to learn valuable life lessons, not for boosting their own ego.

In the dictionary, a Champion is, “a person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, specifically in sports.” However, the true definition of Champion actually encompasses much more than just what an athlete does on the playing field. To enhance this discussion for coaches and athletes, below is an acronym created by Kayla McBride (ND Women’s Basketball and Student in ND’s Social Foundations of Coaching class) to describe each letter in the word "Champion" with a different quality.

C - Confidence: Champions must have confidence in their individual abilities (the talent level that God has given them), in their teammates and coaches.

H - Humble: Champions must respect their ability and never take it for granted. They should express gratitude to those who assist them in their success and thrive with them.

A - Attitude: Champions must have a positive attitude throughout their career and understand that there will be good and bad days along with wins and losses. They should have a growth mindset of striving to get better and encouraging others around them.

M - Mental Toughness: Sports are physically and mentally challenging. Champions must work to obtain the mental toughness to persevere through the obstacles that will come with the demands of sport.

P - Passion: Champions must have passion for the game. All the hard work and dedication should be done out of the love and pride they have every time they participate in their sport.

I - Idol: Champions, nowadays, are seen in the public eye much more than ever before. When being a role model, it is important that athletes maintain all those qualities of character that equal being a Champion.

O - Open-Minded: Champions must be open to new ideas; they can never settle.

N - Noble: Being a champion becomes more than just athletically performing. Champions must have the noble and morally-just qualities of a champion every day. It is a person’s character, not their athletic success, that truly matters.

Play Like A Champion Today!

VIA Play Like A Champion Today(R) Sport Parent Notes