Tip of the Month - February 2021

Coach Monika Says…

What Makes A Winner?

From the book: “What makes a Winner” by Charlie Jones

At age twenty, John Naber won four gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec. Each of his victories was swum in world-record time; he swept the two backstroke events and was a member of two winning relay teams. He also won a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle as part of a U.S. sweep in that event. One of his gold medals for the first 200-meter backstroke completed in a world record time of 1:59.19 stood for seven years as did his other world record of 55.49 seconds in the 100-meter backstroke. Here is what he said:

…The difference in finishing first, second, or third is measured in fractions, and you can spot them on the starting blocks.

There are three levels: there’s the swimmer who is going to win and he is only concerned about what he is going to do. There is the one who is fighting to win but is probably going to finish second and he is very much concerned about what the first swimmer is going to do. And there is the guy who is going to finish third, who really doesn’t care what anybody does because he’s just out there on a lark.

The athletes who are going to finish first and third … it’s easy to confuse them because they’re not concerned about anybody’s business but their own. However, the one who will win the gold medal is the one who is really expecting to perform well…

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots:

…If you don’t know where you are going…

Any road will take you there…

…But once you know, then it just takes 

hard work and perseverance…

References:

Jones, C. (1997). What makes winners win (p. 13). Secaucus, NJ: Carol Publishing.