2. Courage– The best players are not afraid to fail or put it on the line. They take risks and make themselves vulnerable to criticism, losing, and failure. Manny Machado once said in a postgame interview that he is always willing to put it on the line. Successful people replace fear with faith and pull the trigger in games and in life.
3. Vision– The clearer your vision, the better your chances of getting there. Kyle Dake wrote down his goal four times a day this year. Stephen Covey’s book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People talks about vision. “One of the main things his [Dr. Charles Garfield] research showed was that almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they experience it before they actually do it. They Begin with the End in Mind.”
4. Resilient– Every top player will face setbacks and adversity. It hurts to lose or fall short of a goal. The Cubs were down 3-1 in the World Series against the Indians, with their last two games on the road in Cleveland. They bounced back winning 3 consecutive games and avenged their losses to take the series 4-3. Champions don’t give up, they bounce back and use these setbacks to make them stronger.
5. Confident- Great players are confident in their abilities. They focus on their positives and do not put limits on themselves. Champions have faith in themselves and ignore the naysayers. The best players believe that they will win when they step out on the field.