What is a champion? What is a winner? What is the difference between the two? Why is there a difference between the two?
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions can be accordingly styled, e.g. national champion, world champion. In certain disciplines, there are specific titles for champions, either descriptive, it is not just a word — really means, and why it matters.
A winner is a person, a team, an animal, etc. that wins something, a game, contest or competition for example, usually singular, a thing or person that is successful or likely to be successful.[1] A winner is just someone who wins something. A prize, a title, a fortune, and so on. A champion is someone who defends something, right? We don’t really call someone a “champ” until they’ve got a title to defend.[2]
A true champion is someone who defends things that matter, resonate, endure. What are those things? They’re not just objects, trophies, belts. Throughout history, the figures that we think of as true champions, whether they are Ali or Prometheus, defend values.
So what are values? They’re not what you think they are. You probably think: values are whatever you think is worthy. I like fast food, I value cheeseburgers. That’s not what values are at all. Genuine values are what you think is worthy for everybody. What everybody should have, possess, obtain, own, inalienably, irrevocably, naturally, simply because they exist.
It is about the goal and vision of the leader and the building of a culture of success. It is a mindset, a process, an attitude, a belief system, where everyone has a common goal and is moving in the right direction. Call it what you want, winning a championship doesn’t just happen, much less winning multiple championships. It is not only about the assembly of talent, but also about the organization of talent and the orchestration of that talent to move in the singular direction to achieve the vision of the leader.
Like a conductor guiding an orchestra, the championship coach guides and leads their squad to their goal of a Championship through the “zone” where everyone is on the “same page” and everything appears to just fall into place in synchronous elegance.
Even among elite performers, certain athletes and people stand out as a cut above the rest, able to outperform in clutch, game-deciding moments.[3] These top performers prove that raw ability doesn’t necessarily translate into a superior “on-field” experience, but it is the mental game that matters most.
The “Champions Series” is the stories and insights from these coaches and their perspectives of the journey in USport and CCAA soccer that has led them to their team successes.
[1] Oxford Learners Dictionaries; https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com
[2] Haque, Umair; The Difference Between a Winner and a Champion. https://umairhaque.com/the-difference-between-a-winner-and-a-champion-dd1d16385b9; June 4, 2016
[3] Afremow, Jim; The Champion’s Mind, How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive. Rodale Inc.; New York, NY; 2013prove that
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