In an old school model of competition, which so many in sports continue to embrace today,
Your opponent is the “enemy.” You want to crush them, to “hate, kill and destroy” them, No Matter What!
This is because, in an old school model of competition, winning is the ONLY thing that really counts and losing is humiliating.
But to a true champion, their opponent is a valued PARTNER,
A “teammate” who will directly help you in your quest for improvement, excellence and peak performance. To a champion, they want tough competition. They embrace the challenge and the uncertainty of the outcome.
Competition, regardless of the level is NOT war! Your opponent is NOT the enemy! A game, match or race should never be so serious that the only thing you focus on is crushing and destroying your opponent or fearing failure. Understand that the better your competitor is, and the better he/she performs, then the greater chance you have of achieving true excellence as an athlete.
Keeping this in mind, true champions respect their opponent. They interact with him/her honestly with integrity. They treat their opponent with dignity. The true champion plays by the rules and treats the competition exactly the way he/she would like to be treated.
Do YOU have this kind of winning attitude?
