Looking at the title of this blog, I’m sure it’s easy for you to tell which one you’d rather be when comparing a champ versus a chump – you want to be a champ! (Duh, right?) A champ is someone who succeeds, takes chances, puts in effort, works hard and loves the game of volleyball. On the other hand, a chump is someone who hates to lose, doesn’t care about volleyball very much, has lackluster efforts, doesn’t want to improve, and isn’t an ideal teammate. We’re going to outline some key differences between a champ and a chump, just in case you needed a reminder of why being a champ is always better!
Performs on game day VS Flat on game day. A champ is always prepared and excited for game day. They know that they’ve put in the work during practice and work-outs so they have the necessary skills for the competition. On top of that, they are eager to compete and put their abilities to the test. On the other hand, a chump is flat on game day. They aren’t prepared, they didn’t put in the effort during practice the week before, they forgot the new defense rotation you worked on, and they aren’t excited to compete. Especially on game day, it’s important for you to be ready for the day, so being a “champ” is always a better option!
Loves the process VS Dreads work-outs and practice. We all know that we don’t become champs without putting in the effort and overcoming some setbacks and roadblocks along the way! This is why champs love the process of becoming a better volleyball player. They understand how the squats, box jumps, blocking practice, and approach lines are going to pay off in the long run. However, chumps are the opposite. They don’t look forward to practice or work-outs. They don’t want to put in the effort – they just want quick results without the work! It’s better to understand how the whole process is going to benefit you instead of expecting amazing results without any work.
Fights for every point VS Gives up easily. Volleyball can sometimes have insanely long rallies that include every player on both teams working tirelessly for just one point. If you don’t believe me, just look up “longest volleyball rallies” on Youtube and you won’t be disappointed! A champ understands that earning a point will sometimes take all their effort. Unfortunately, a chump doesn’t understand this. Chumps are quicker to give up on a ball than a champ is. For example, if a ball seems slightly out of reach on defense, a champ will go for that ball and extend themselves as much as possible while a chump will write off the ball and the rally and accept the lost point. It’s much better to have a champ attitude when fighting for points!
Aggressive VS Cautious and tentative. Champs are known to be aggressive. How can we expect to succeed or improve without being a little aggressive sometimes? For instance, if they really want to win that rally, a champ will take a hard swing on the ball. Or if it’s game point, a champ will go for a tough serve to win the game. Chumps don’t adopt this same aggressiveness, though. Instead they are more cautious because all they care about is not messing up. Don’t get us wrong – being cautious is reasonable sometimes when it is necessary! The problem with chumps is that they are TOO cautious TOO often and this prevents them from using their full abilities.
Not afraid to lose VS Scared to take chances and lose. Finally, champs simply aren’t afraid to lose! This is because they know they always give 110%. So, if they give 110% and they end up losing anyway, they know that means they need to improve so that their 110% can be enough next time! Plus, champs know that a loss can just be turned into a learning experience, so they aren’t afraid of it. Unfortunately, chumps are really afraid of losing. This is really detrimental to their playing ability because they end up getting too scared to make a mistake so they intentionally play at a lower level. Losing is considered “the end of the world” to chumps, so they’ll do anything they can to avoid it, including becoming a worse volleyball player. So be like a champ and don’t be afraid to lose!
You already knew there were clear differences between being a champ and being a chump, but we just wanted to outline a few of the major differences. Sometimes during a particularly hyped up game or hard practice, it is easy to slip into “chump” habits. But during those times is when you really need to dig deep and maintain your “champ” attitude!