Every Day I Play Like a Champion

© 2002 Boaz Rauchwerger

It was the bottom of the fifth inning. Little league baseball in Ft. Wayne, Indiana on a balmy April afternoon.

Local companies sponsor teams in that area. Today it was TLC (Tailored Logistics Corporation) versus Marco's Pizza. There are fourteen players on the TLC team, ages 13-14.

The coach, Marty Marringer, was standing next to third base and his team was up to bat. After initially falling behind 4-0, TLC had now evened the score at 4-4. In their previous game, TLC had also fallen behind 6-0 and ended up winning 16-6.

As I said, it was the bottom of the fifth. Trevor Oetting had advanced to third base and TLC's Jessie Meredith was up to bat. Then it happened. Trevor hollered to Jessie, "Jessie, play like a Champion!"

Jessie promptly gets a hit and scores Trevor. By the end of the fifth inning, TLC is leading 13-4. The team wins the game. They have now won their first four games of the season, three of which were "come from behind" victories. Coach Marringer has been with the team for a number of years. They've done well in the past. However, this year they've added a secret weapon.

In the past the coach has talked with his players on numerous occasions about the power of "belief" and reminded them individually, and as a group, that they are Champions. This year, he added the following sign on the dugout wall: EVERY DAY I PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION!

Every member of the team touches that sign before going onto the field. This team WILL NOT leave the dugout to go onto the field without touching the "EVERY DAY I PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION" sign. If one forgets (including the coach), he is reminded by another player to go back and touch the sign.

This is the same sign that appears on the locker room door at Notre Dame. When the University of Oklahoma football team was a perennial national champion, they also had that sign on the locker room door and every player was required to touch it before going onto the field.

What about your game, the game of life, and what about your team, YOU? All of us have the ability to play like a champion. Some people just know how to focus on that possibility and they remind themselves to perform at a higher level.

Mary Lou Retton, the US Olympic Champion of the past in gymnastics, played like a champion a number of years ago. It was the finals in the Olympics. In order to pass her Russian counterpart and win the Gold Medal, she had to get a perfect 10 on the vault. As she was getting ready to go, did she say to herself, "The entire world is watching. This is too much. I wish my parents weren't here. I've missed this vault many times?" That's the subconscious pattern of the average person.

NO. Mary Lou talked to herself in different terms. She had ingrained the concept that EVERY DAY I PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION! She said to herself, "Need a 10. Got a 10! Let's do it. I play like a Champion!" And she did. Gold was hers.

I suggest you create a sign that says just that, EVERY DAY I PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION. Make copies. Put some up at home and at the office. If you're the leader of a team, whether with your family at home or at your company, encourage others to participate. The transformation can be amazing.

Touch the sign every day, several times. In a challenging moment, touch the sign. The signal that will flash to your subconscious mind is instant and powerful. The subconscious mind says, "Yes. You are a Champion. It may be challenging, but you play like a Champion and you'll find the answer." That attitudinal change opens your mind to creative ideas and empowers your body with positive energy.

Need a 10? Got a 10! You are a Champion and you can play like one every day! I don't believe you came just to play. I believe you came to WIN!

A Champion's Affirmations

a. Every day I play like a Champion!
b. I am special, unique, and destined for greatness.
c. It's easy, important and profitable for me to do the most valuable thing first every day.