What does winning look like? For 3x world champion Mookie Betts, it’s best described as a combination of love and grit. In the midst of a Fall Classic for the ages, Mookie’s words could get lost in midst of a comeback win, champagne showers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers 8th World Series title. Hence why I am immortalizing his words here so I and anyone reading doesn’t miss the gem he left us.
Championships are great but they fade over time. Don’t believe me? Who won the World Series in 1988*? How about the year before that? My point is, although I am a lifelong Dodgers fan and it feels good to see my team win another WS in 5 years, victories fade overtime. Truth, however, well that lasts forever. I’m not sure if Betts planned on what he was going to say. More than likely he was running off adrenaline. Either way, I believe he perfectly encapsulated what true winning looks like.
As Betts puts it, the first element of winning, or a winner, is love. Like most things in life, love seems to be the foundation of winning. Without it, the passion required to win is absent. You can have all the talent in the world but without love, you’re in a losing position.
“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” – 1 Corinthians 13:2
Heart is what gets someone up every morning to take on the day. It supplies people who have it with a sense of purpose that can’t be denied. It’s what has kept me on my feet, concentrating on only putting one foot in front of the other, aware that these hard times are the good old days I will look back on. The Dodgers no doubt feel on top of the world after their win, however, after the celebrations end and winter comes and goes, they’ll be back for spring training to play more baseball. To continue to play the game that they love.
Although love is foundational to winning, to win at the highest level, you need something else. You need something to keep you going when things look dire. When it’s Game 5 of the World Series and you peek up at the scoreboard and are reminded you are down 5-0. You need grit.
Grit - Courage, determination or vigor in the face of danger or difficulty
If champions were made simply by way of their love, most everyone on Earth could be a champion. Yet very few of us ever reach glory. Most of us fail to achieve the things we set out to do. Speaking of myself for a minute, over the last year, I have chased a goal that has met me with failure after failure. And although I have found myself down, I never give up.
This is the core foundation of Dare City. A belief that no matter what challenges we may face, we dare to face them. Citizens of Dare City are determined to be courageous in the midst of turmoil and chase after dreams in spite of their fears. It’s a community built with Championship DNA, leading with love and backing that love with grit.
As crazy at it may sound, we can learn a lot from games. The 2024 MLB season showed me it’s not money or talent that wins championships. Rather, it’s the little things that go unnoticed that lead to the win. It’s picking up someone when their down, it’s dedicating hours to get treatment so you can be out there for your team, it’s not caving to the insurmountable pressure placed on you by expectations or doubters. It’s love and grit that makes a champion. What’s my proof? The 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers.
*It’s the Dodgers, of course 😉