Commitment, Pride, Leadership: Just a Few Traits that Define a Champion

Anyone who knows me is quite aware of my addition to sports. I love the competition, the excitement, the statistics, the storylines, the drama, and the unpredictability. I've played, I've watched, I've cheered, I've booed, I've celebrated, I've cried.

The love affair one has with his or her sports teams is something that cannot be replicated. Some people, myself included, feel such a strong attachment to the team that we feel apart of the team, even though we are just spectators with the desire to root for a winner.

I have dubbed 2009 as "The Year of Cercone Sports." Why? In this calendar year, I've watched the Steelers win a Super Bowl, the Penguins win a Stanley Cup, and the Lakers win the NBA Championship. These are all teams I've followed since I was a little kid. And the bonus? I'm also a Yankees fan, and they're about to enter the 2009 MLB Postseason with the league's best record and hopefully complete the full circle of championships for my sports teams! This has never come close to happening before...and who knows if it will ever happen again.

Some may say, "Oh, what a frontrunner!" But trust me, I've lived through some pretty harsh and miserable seasons. For example, the Penguins get a few thousand people outside the arena to watch playoff games on a big screen TV. Before Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of their young cast of superstars donned the black and gold, it seemed like they couldn't even get that many people inside the arena watching the games.

In Pittsburgh today, the Stanley Cup and Lombardi Trophy were on display for the public to view, as depicted in the image above. The line that wrapped around the building just to get a glimpse and a picture with two inanimate, shining silver objects was a true testament to the love affair Pittsburghers have with their sports teams.

As the line moved forward, I started thinking about how lucky I am to be part of this great city. Then, I started thinking about what was truly sacrificed so fans like myself could stand three feet from the top prizes in their respected sports.

These symbols of excellence weren't on display in this town for nothing. There were two sports franchises who came together as one and poured every ounce of themselves into being the best. Nothing more, nothing less.

It took commitment, teamwork, pride, perseverance, sacrifice, leadership, personal belief, and an innate understanding of what it took to not only play the game, but to play the game to win.

You can look at any sport as the ultimate level of competition. But the raw emotion that takes place on their fields of battle spills into everyday life more than most people realize.

As each day begins anew, we are given the opportunity to put the past behind us, persevere, and forge ahead towards the accomplishment of our goals. This is exactly what athletes do as they take the field. The past is the past, and the focus is on the present and what can be attained going forward.

Commitment. Pride. Teamwork. Personal Belief. Leadership. These are all qualities that exist inside every one of us. It's simply a matter of shining a spotlight on them and bringing them into focus.

You can learn alot from the sports world. Watching a dramatic game is one thing, but the qualities that rise from each competitive endeavor can teach a valuable lesson if you view it from a new perspective.

The accomplishments of a team can bring glory to us all. Commit to bringing glory and accomplishment to your own life every single day.