As the great painter Michelangelo cautioned, “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” He’s essentially reminded us all that Olympians aren’t born Olympians, but rather are developed through passion, perseverance, practice, and purposeful preparation.

What I can tell you is that the same principles and techniques that we cultivate to achieve excellence in the Olympic Games can be mastered and adopted by athletes and teams at any level and in any sport.

Let me share five of those Mindset Principles now:

1. You don’t have to finish first to be a winner: 

We challenge our athletes to carry themselves as Champions regardless of the score or outcome both in practice and in competition. Athletes can exhibit integrity and positive character in all aspects of sport and in life. They don’t depend on winning to maintain confidence, a passion for playing and practicing, joy in being with their teammates and a commitment to becoming a better version of themselves as athletes, as teammates and as people.

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Editor’s Note: The excerpt above has been re-printed here in promotion of Minnesota Hockey’s partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance which enables youth hockey associations to receive grants for hosting a PCA workshop. Find out how PCA can enhance the culture and performance of your youth sports program.