{"id":6017,"date":"2019-12-24T17:58:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-24T21:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=6017"},"modified":"2026-01-21T16:31:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T20:31:52","slug":"champion-mindset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/champion-mindset\/","title":{"rendered":"Champion Mindset: The 3 Key Beliefs of the Best Athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the champion mindset? How does it help you meet your athletic potential?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover the elements of the champion mindset and how to adopt it to become the best athlete you can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Secrets of the Champion Mindset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the book Moneyball<\/em>, author Michael Lewis tells the story of baseball player Billy Beane<\/a>, who had great natural talent but lacked the mindset necessary to become a champion. His fixed mindset<\/a>, with its belief in natural talent, held him back. When things went wrong, he fell apart because he couldn\u2019t tolerate failure. He couldn\u2019t address his problems because he felt that expending effort shouldn\u2019t be necessary and, in fact, would be an admission of weakness.
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While watching a less talented player, Lenny Dykstra, who was undeterred by failure, Beane realized that a champion mindset was more important than natural ability<\/strong>. While he didn\u2019t develop a growth mindset<\/a> (champion mindset) as a player, Beane did apply that mindset to recruiting when he became a major-league executive. As general manager of the Oakland Athletics, he led the 2002 team to a near-record for consecutive wins with the second-lowest payroll in baseball. He focused on recruiting for mindset rather than talent.
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Following is a look at how champions embody the growth mindset<\/a>, or champion mindset, especially in the ways they view success and failure<\/a>.
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Success, Failure<\/strong>, and the Champion Mindset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Researchers studied student-athletes\u2019 beliefs on athletic ability. Students\u2019 with the champion mindset expressed views matching those of champion athletes. In other words they shared a champion\u2019s mindset:
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Champion Mindset Belief #1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

They define success as learning, improving, and doing their best<\/strong>. This was the first key to a champion mindset. Jackie Joyner-Kersee said improvement was more important to her than winning. She wasn\u2019t bothered by losing if she saw improvement and felt she\u2019d done her best. She just went back to work. Tiger Woods and Mia Hamm loved to win, but the effort they\u2019d made was more important to them. Basketball coach John Wooden said he enjoyed the games his team had prepared well for and played well as much as he enjoyed championship games. In contrast, athletes with a fixed mindset<\/a> focused on winning to prove their superiority.
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Champion Mindset Belief #2<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When they experience failures or setbacks, it motivates them<\/strong>. This is the second key to the champion mindset. They learn from failures<\/a> and treat them as a wake-up call. Michael Jordan wasn\u2019t afraid of failures. He acknowledged them and practiced harder. In an advertisement, he noted that he\u2019d missed over nine thousand shots, lost nearly three hundred games, and failed to make a game-winning shot 26 times. Conversely, athletes with fixed mindsets are humiliated by losses and setbacks.
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Champion Mindset Belief #3<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

They learn to take control of and manage all aspects of the game or sport.<\/strong> This is the third key to a champion mindset. As Michael Jordan aged, he worked on conditioning and also worked to become a more well-rounded player, rather than relying on a few key shots. Tiger Woods worked on his swing at a young age, but he also learned about course strategy and keeping his mind focused and shutting out distractions. He managed his motivation by making practice fun. Athletes with a fixed mindset, like John McEnroe, don\u2019t take control \u2014 they blame outside forces when they fail. 
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Teamwork Versus Stardom<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While fixed-mindset athletes put individual performance ahead of teamwork, those with a champion mindset understand the importance of teamwork<\/a>. Michael Jordan noted that stars can win games but it takes teamwork to win championships.
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One fixed-minded player who didn\u2019t get this was Keshawn Johnson, who played football for the Jets. He argued that he was a team player, but an individual first. He claimed he couldn\u2019t help his team if he weren\u2019t the number one player carrying the ball. The Jets soon traded him and his career didn\u2019t last much longer.
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In fact, every sport, including individual sports, is a team effort. Everyone requires coaches, trainers, caddies, and support staff. The long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad needed large teams to help her try for open water swimming records. Her team included guides, divers, watercraft operators, NASA nutrition experts, and trainers. She had a team of 51 people helping her when she set her record of 102.5 miles.
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Grow Your Mindset: Tips<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n