“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” (Jack Dempsey- Professional Boxer)

“A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”
What allows a sportsperson to get up when he can’t?
That is the million dollar question?
Unfortunately, even after spending a million dollars this trait cannot be bought. This trait has to be developed.

How does one develop this trait?
To develop this trait, sportspersons have to build their mental strength. As this trait is only a mental strength. Building mental strength is dependent upon many factors:

The main ones being:

1. Self-discipline is the ability to get yourself to take action regardless of your emotional state.

2. Self respect & self esteem.

A simple factual self respect is a positive value / quality. From childhood onwards, we got less than what we expected. This has leads to low self esteem. Another problem arises when this self esteem, gets exaggerated into self worshipfulness. Both situations are not good. We need to be balanced as regards Self respect & Self esteem.

3. Non injury
The capacity of sportspersons to live free of hurt and pain or threat of any sort to other living beings.

4. Accommodation or forbearance or endurance.
These words are to be understood as accommodation. A positive cheerful, calm acceptance of those situation that I cannot change.

5. Cleanliness 

Outward : The value of clean clothes, body, dwelling makes for a productive environment.
This leads to developing mental strength.

Inner : To thine own self be true as night follows day. Without this alignment peace would be in pieces.

6. Steadiness or firmness

Most of us are heroes in the beginning, we start any activity bravely. We are lions in our resolutions, but as time goes by our enthusiasm wanes. Sportspersons face this situation regularly.
Lack of steadiness towards a commitment results in goals not being achieved, bringing a build up of guilt over failures to complete what was started.

7. Contributor

Those sportspersons who develop the quality of becoming contributors, by putting others before themselves are seen to develop mental strength in its potent form.