In life or in football everything has a cost; the greater the value; the greater the cost. As the great, Russian philosopher Uri once said “The only free lunch is cheese in a mouse trap.” In football the ultimate prize is a championship and it has a tremendous cost attached to it. It is not easy to win a championship so the cost is high. The following are some the costs incurred to win a Championship.

1. Total Commitment from everyone involved. Every part of the car is important. Everyone on the team MUST be committed to the Championship. No Thanksgiving with your family.
2. The sacrifice of your individuality for the team. Give up ego. Look the part at all times. You are representing OUR TEAM. Hold yourself to a higher standard.
3. Daily HARD WORK. The self- discipline to drive yourself every day to be the best you can be. To compete with yourself EVERY DAY.
4. Elimination of ego, drama & distractions in your life. Every distraction disrespects the team.
5. To have the ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE – to be thankful & count your blessings daily.
6. The sacrifice of “party life” – your body is your weapon & it must always be sharp. You must sacrifice short term pleasure for Everlasting Glory.
7. To ALWAYS put the TEAM 1st – We not me attitude wins. Individual goals must ALWAYS yield to TEAM goals. Every day do at least one thing to make to make a teammate better. The best way to help your self is to help another. To be #1 we must be ONE.
8. To focus on the NOW – to stay in the present. The past is behind you & what you do today will determine your future. Focus on the moment – in weights, run to win, practice & games. Play each play to the best of your ability one play at a time. To play ONE game per week. To view every day as a chance to get better.
9. To make the right choices. First you make the choices then the choices make you.
10. To make EXCELLENCE a way of life.

Only Champions win Championships. You must first BE before you can DO. The purpose of our work is to BECOME a CHAMPION so we can win a CHAMPIONSHIP. Starting NOW everything that you do must be geared to acquiring the traits, habits, thought process & responses of a CHAMPION. This is a great opportunity to grow in all areas of your life.

This article was written by Tony DeMeo, and is an excerpt from his recently released eBook, The Best of Tony DeMeo.

Coach DeMeo, now retired, is an accomplished Author, sought after Speaker, and the creator of the Triple Gun Offense. He continues to travel around the country instructing coaches and players that run his Offense. In his 25 years of experience as a head college football coach, Coach DeMeo built a reputation for turning around college programs, and had an overall record of 137-108-4. He completed his career at the University of Charleston with a six year tenure in which the Golden Eagles produced more victories (43) than during any other six year period in school history. Included in that stint was an 8-3 season that marked the greatest turnaround in conference history and a 9-2 season in 2009.

Shortly after retiring, Coach DeMeo partnered with Option Central to launch the Play of the Day Chalk Talk series and produce seven volumes in  The Triple Gun Virtual Playbook series along with a Quarterback Drills video .  These, along with other titles in the Virtual Playbook series can be viewed online in the new Triple Gun section of the CompuSports Media Exchange, which also includes a Triple Gun Q and A section, podcasts, and a number of complimentary videos.

Visit Coach DeMeo’s web site