Character of Champions
COURAGE
Courage
We have all been inspired by stories of people who have shown great courage in
the face of huge danger.
Firefighter’s entering into burning buildings and soldiers about to enter into battle.
However, courage isn’t a quality that only appears in a war zone or in times of
great danger. Courage is an essential part of our day to day life.
As a soccer player the courage is an essential skill for you to build and one that
separates good players from great players.
Courage is a quality that we can all develop to ensure that we achieve the success
we want in life. Courage gives you the confidence to face difficulties and obstacles
with inner strength and a quiet calmness.
However, your courage will be tested both on and off the field on a regular basis.
When you face difficult tasks, or when the pressure on you is intense and you’re
called upon to do something you have never done before, you will need to the
courage to take positive actions.
Together courage and confidence empower you to bounce back when you
experience adversity, set backs or low points.
What is Courage?
Courage is defined as the mental strength to venture, persevere, and withstand
danger, fear or difficulty.
It’s being brave and strong and not being afraid of or discouraged by anything.
Courage is standing up for what is right, showing a firm determination to stick by
your convictions and achieve your goal whatever the circumstances
Examples of how you can show courage
 Courage to own up when you are in the wrong
 Courage to resist negative peer pressure and say “no” when others are
pressing you to do something that you know is wrong.
 Courage to be first to volunteer
 Courage to admit you don’t know or understand something
 Courage to try things although you are fearful or unsure of yourself.
When difficulty or danger appears so does an inner strength emerges and we are
able to react or respond with courage and calmness.
Winston Churchill – Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities
…because it is the quality that guarantees all others.
Courageous players step up to the ball and take responsibility on, rather than
leaving it for others as they are afraid to make mistakes.
What helps people take courage is
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The encouragement of friends , family or coaches
Having a hopeful or optimistic personality
A positive memory of what was or vision of what will be
A determined attitude
What helps you be brave?
Where do you find your courage?
Who inspires you with courage?
Types of Courage
Courage can be broken up into three different but often interrelated categories.
1. Physical Courage
2. Moral or Social Courage
3. Mental Courage
1. Physical Courage
Physical courage involves acting in spite of possible harm to one’s body. Acting In
the face of pain, hardship, death or threat of death
“Tank Man”
The unknown rebel of Tiananmen Square
Tank Man is the nickname of an anonymous man who stood in front of a column
of Chinese tanks the morning after the Chinese military forcibly removed
protestors from in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989.
The man placed himself alone in the middle of the street as the tanks approached,
directly in the path of the armored vehicles. He held two shopping bags, one in
each hand. As the tanks came to a stop, the man gestured towards the tanks with his
bags. In response, the lead tank attempted to drive around the man, but the man
repeatedly stepped into the path of the tank in a show of nonviolent action. After
repeatedly attempting to go around rather than crush the man, the lead tank stopped
its engines, and the armored vehicles behind it seemed to follow suit.
Having successfully brought the column to a halt, He then climbed atop the turret
and seemed to have a short conversation with a crew member at the gunner's hatch.
After ending the conversation, the man alighted from the tank. The tank
commander briefly emerged from his hatch, and the tanks restarted their engines,
ready to continue on. At that point, the man leaped in front of the vehicle once
again and quickly reestablished the man–tank standoff.
Video footage shows that two figures in blue attire then pulled the man away and
disappeared with him into a nearby crowd. Internationally, the image of the lone
man in front of the tank has come to symbolize the events at Tiananmen Square in
1989 and is widely considered one of the most iconic images of the 20th century.
2. Moral or Social Courage
The ability to act right in the face of popular opposition or discouragement.
When civilians stand up against something that is deemed unjust or evil knowing
that the consequences of their action might lead to their death, injury or some
significant harm.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks, inspired a generation to fight for civil rights, Rosa Parks was born on
February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama.
When Rosa was young, the "Jim Crow" laws were put in effect. Rosa hated these
laws. One of which was that African Americans were only allowed to sit in the
middle or back of a bus. One day in 1955, Rosa was coming home from work
when she took a seat in the middle section of the bus. After a few stops, many
white people were on the bus and she was told to give up her seat, for there were
white people standing. She refused to move. Rosa knew it was a law in
Montgomery and James Blake, the driver of the bus, called the police and she was
arrested.
Rosa went to court and was found guilty. She was fined ten dollars plus the court
costs. In response to her arrest, black men and women in Montgomery boycotted,
or refused to use, the city buses.
The Montgomery bus boycott lasted 381 days. Throughout those months, churches
and homes in the black community were attacked. Despite threats to their lives, the
community continued to refuse to ride the buses. In November 1956, the U.S.
Supreme Court outlawed segregation on buses. After the court order arrived in
Montgomery, blacks began riding the buses again, sitting wherever they pleased.
They demanded an end to segregation, or laws that denied equal rights to black
people. Many believe that Park’s bold decision triggered the civil rights movement,
a struggle to grant Americans the same rights, regardless of their color.
There are very few people who can say their actions and conduct changed the face
of the nation. Rosa Parks is one of those individuals." Rosa Park’s action showed
how one person could make a big impact. She inspired others, including Martin
Luther King Jr., to use nonviolence and civil disobedience as a way to protest
problems in society.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa on July 18, 1918. As a young man he
joined the African National Congress (ANC) and was engaged in resistance against
the ruling National Party's apartheid policies against colored people.
After the banning of the ANC, Mandela was arrested and was brought to stand trial
for plotting to overthrow the government by violence and was sentenced to life
imprisonment.
During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily and he was
widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa.
He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.
After spending 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela was released on February 11,
1990. After his release, Mandela was elected President of the ANC; Mandela was
then elected as the first black president of South Africa. A symbol for
peacemaking he won the Nobel Peace Prize. His birthday July 18th has been
declared Mandela Day a global celebration of his legacy.
3. Mental Courage
Involves overcoming your own anxieties and acting against your own natural
inclinations. It’s requires the ability to stay positive despite setbacks or
disappointments.
W. Mitchell
A tremendous example of showing courage and staying positive through adversity
is the life of W. Mitchell.
Mitchell was in a road accident and suffered burns to 65% of his body. He fought
back from a normally fatal situation, His fingers were amputated, and friends
passed out at the sight of his disfigured face. Many victims of burns this severe do
not survive, partly through losing the will to live, but Mitchell pulled his life back
together, becoming a successful businessman of a multimillion dollar company,
only to face the nightmare of a light aircraft crash which left him a paraplegic.
Again he fought back, to continue as a successful businessman, become mayor of a
town in Colorado, and a candidate for the US Senate. W. Mitchell, now an author
and an inspirational speaker inspires people who are facing their life's challenges to
"climb out of mental wheelchairs', to 'break out of the prisons of the mind"
Mitchell's slogan for life is summed up in one sentence: 'It's not what happens to
you - It's what you do about it.' "
Courage in Soccer
On the soccer field examples of physical courage could be
 A Goalkeeper coming out to make a save at the strikers feet on a
breakaway
 A smaller player going into a tackle against a much bigger and heavier
opponent.
 A striker throwing themselves into challenge for a header from a cross or
a corner kick
Examples of Social or Moral Courage could be
 In training, when the ball goes out of play having the courage to be
honest and give it to the other team.
 When you turn up to the game and every other player on your team is just
lined up on the edge of the penalty area shooting at the goal. Have the
courage to do what’s right and begin your stretches and work with the
ball
Examples of Mental Courage
 To try a move that you have never attempted in a game before
 To take a shot with your weak foot knowing you might mess up.
 Be the one to step up and offer to take the penalty kick.
Mastering your fears
Remember the old definition of FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real
We have all done things in the past that were frightening at first ( Joining a new
team , starting a new school , making a speech, taking an penalty kick or going to
the dentist! ) Most of the time, the result is that you realize they weren’t as bad as
you thought they would be and now you can go forward and do them again.
You must not allow your fears to control your life. You must gain as much courage
as possible to overcome these fears. Courage is the mastery of not absence of fear.
You have to believe that taking action will lead you to greater benefit and pleasure
than the pain and frustration of letting the fear hold you back.
Each time we face our fears, we gain strength and confidence.
Building your Courage
Here are several building blocks for developing your courage
1. Take Action
The best way for you to dispel fear and build courage is to take action in the
direction of your goals. Don’t procrastinate
“An object in motion tends to stay in motion: An object at rest tends to stay at
rest.”
When you start taking action, no matter how small, it will start gathering
momentum and confidence towards mastering your fears and achieving your goals.
2. Positive Thinking & Talking
To lay the foundation for increasing your courage, develop the habit of thinking
positively. Eliminate negative thinking from your mind. Refuse to think that you
might not be able to achieve your goals. Eliminate words like “can’t” and
“impossible,” from your thinking.
If there are people around you that tell you that you don’t measure up then don’t
take their words to heart, stay positive. Have the courage to walk away from
negative influences that are having a negative impact on you
3. Work hard at practice
There is no better way to build your courage than through hours of dedicated
practice. Practicing to improve your skills strengthens and empowers you. Never
look for short cuts to high performance – there is no easy way to success.
Accomplishment requires genuine hard work and a willingness to make sacrifices
4. Savor the struggle
Courage doesn’t always come easily. Courage challenges us. There’s an old saying
that goes “You never see the strength of the tea bag until it’s in hot water” Any
time you are going to do something that requires courage there will be struggles to
overcome. Remember that on the other side of this struggle is strength. Understand
that that working and playing through the struggle is what builds your courage.
5. Rebound
The ability to rebound after a setback or mistake is essential to success. Everyone
makes mistakes and errors. They are a great learning experience. Refuse to let your
mistakes get you down or discourage you. Welcome the opportunity to rebound for
a second chance.
Learning to focus on success helps you develop the self-motivation and courage to
move confidently toward your goals.
6. Be First.
Don’t be afraid to be first to try something different or express a different idea.
True, other people might not understand, or might even criticize your way of
thinking. This is not easy to do, but have the courage to express your thoughts.
The heart of a Lion
There will always be someone to tell you that you are wrong or not good enough.
There will be difficult situations that arise when you will tempt you to doubt
yourself. Stay strong and believe in yourself.
Courage does not always come in one giant package. Success breeds success,
every time you accomplish something, your confidence and courage increases and
builds upon itself.
Be Humble: There is nothing wrong with taking pride in your accomplishments,
but let your performances speak for themselves. They say more about you than any
words you say afterwards.
Most people whom others consider to be heroes do not see themselves in that role.
They simply took actions that needed to be done.
Look for opportunities to encourage others and help them find courage.
When you build up your courage, you are more likely to take risks that will guide
you to a more positive and exciting future.
If the Cowardly Lion in Wizard of Oz can overcome his fears to get a Medal of
Courage so can you!