Quote of the Day — Michael Jordan on How to Become a Champion
“Champions don't become champions when they win an event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it.” – Michael Jordan
Athletes and coaches are wise to remember winning a championship is merely a culminating activity. It’s the final stop on a long road.
How you prepare matters just as much, if not more, than how you perform. In competition, we ultimately fall back on our training.
Jordan was great because he was clear about what really matters when pursing excellence in sport:
Quality of Preparation
Competitive Drive
Focus in the moment
Coach Georg Karl observes: “Jordan was one of the most talented athletes to play the game of basketball, but his mind and competitive spirts were greater than his athletic talent. His focus, his drive to win, his level of preparation, I’ve never seen anybody else have it.”
Under prepared athletes cannot perform to high standards. Athletes who don’t love competition will shy away from challenging opponents and defining moments. And the distracted athlete will lack follow through.
Football coach Vince Lombardi put it well, “The will to win is not nearly so important as the will to prepare to win.” Most people have the will to win. Most enjoy winning and benefits that come with it. Those willing to put in the work required to win are far more rare.
However, this is not a one-time thing. You can’t prepare to win once and then think success will easily follow. You have to show up every day, for a long time.
Good performers have the will to prepare most days. Great performers, like Jordan, have the rare will to prepare week after week, month after month, year after year.