Fighting spirit

Attitude is everywhere. We see it at work, at school, at home and at play. It is definitive, and it is what makes or breaks our experience, whatever we are doing.

When we talk about attitude, it can be used in a variety of different ways, but it’s defined as “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.”

We all know that our attitude affects the quality of our day. If we set out with a good one, usually the day turns out great. Those we interact with pick up on the vibe we put out and react accordingly.

In sports, the right attitude is essential to success, whether on an individual level or a whole team level.

If you go into a sport determined to work hard and improve your skills, you will see the results you are hoping to achieve. If you don’t believe that you will succeed, or if your attitude is bad, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Watching the NCAA Basketball Tournament these last couple of weeks has demonstrated how a fighting spirit and a winning attitude can prevail over potentially defeating situations.

I’ve watched teams who were down for most of the game come back at the end to win it.

I’ve watched players make amazing plays when no one expected it of them, to keep their team in the game.

We’ve all watched a No. 11 seed take it to teams it never should have stood up to, which got them to the Final Four.

That’s attitude and that’s a fighting spirit at work.

I saw a quote the other day from Chuck Noll, a former NFL player and head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969-1991, and arguably one of the greatest coaches ever, that really struck home.

“On every team, there is a core group that sets the tone for everyone else. If the tone is positive, you have half the battle won. If it is negative, you are beaten before you ever walk on the field.”

I’ve experienced situations where the collective tone was negative, and it was miserable to be a part of that team, and it was no surprise for anyone that there wasn’t a lot to celebrate that year. We reaped the success of our attitude.

I’ve also seen how a negative attitude has impacted a team’s season, whether as a coach or as a fan. I can remember using attitude as a strategy to defeat certain opponents over the years. We knew that if we got into the head of one or two of their stronger players, their attitude would inevitably bring their team down and give us an advantage.

I’ve also seen the impact that a positive attitude can have.

There have been teams who, on paper, shouldn’t have had the level of success they enjoyed based on the quality of their conference opponents, but they believed they could win and they found a way to do it.

Obviously, you need to have some level of talent to have a winning season, but talent alone isn’t enough. A winning attitude and a fighting spirit is essential to success.