~:[CH13 - Day 310]:~ What is Winning?

 
~:[CH13 - Day 310]:~ What is Winning?

This not so little freshman crossed the finish line first at our varsity league finals today. His 16:37 gave him a 19 second victory. It was a great win, along with my varsity girl who finished undefeated in league this year, but the real question is, what is winning? My freshman didn't win because he crossed the line first, similar to my varsity girl. They both won because of the work that they put in daily, their open ears and minds when hearing advice, their ability to give 100% and find 10% more and many other similar reasons. I've had a range of athletes, but I love it when I think of an athlete and I feel confident that they've already won. Why? We can easily teach our society that winning is being on top, but unless you're taking all the steps to do it the right way, I wouldn't consider it winning at all. Winners set a good example, they push their limits, they're selfless yet determined, and they will lay it all on the line for themselves, but also for their teammates. These two were winning before they even crossed the line. I have a number of athletes like that. On our final day of the regular season, I was proud to see so many of these athletes earn the performances that they had today. The excitement on their faces and how proud they were when they crossed the line, was great to see when I knew they earned every ounce of it. At the end of the day, we won three individual championships and three team championships, but even my boys varsity team who finished second, won today. This team recovered from the loss of a good chunk of their team and still were in the mix, challenging for a title. In the end, we weren't deep enough and maybe just one athlete short of sharing the title, but, there's no way I could consider today a disappointment. As in many things in life, there will be many "winners," but among those who win, they've already demonstrated that they truly are not winners. Winners take the high road, they set the example and just like I mentioned yesterday, they perspire, inspire, and inquire. I hope that we all can win at life, but in order to do so, let's all look at who we are and what we represent. Are we the best versions of ourselves? If not, let's get to work on making the adjustments so we can find our path to victory.