For four years I watched my little girl, Julianna, walk, run, and twirl her way through our church. For thirteen years I watched another girl in our church, Kindra, live her entire life confined to a wheelchair. One Sunday, Kindra’s mom brought her to church with a new spring outfit. I noticed that there were new shoes, but they sat in Kindra’s lap. After the service, Kindra’s mother gave the shoes to my wife with the request that our daughter wear them. For the next few services, I observed the mom watching Julianna move about the church property in the shoes that Kindra could not wear.

Hockey Chat: Being a great hockey player takes a great amount of work.  To reach to a level worthy of playing in the big leagues, guys persistently work at their skills.  Things that were once difficult become easier with practice. 

Hockey Chat:  In the Stanley Cup Finals 2004, Calgary’s Ville Nieminen's hit on Tampa BayVincent Lecavalier in Game 4 of the was definitely a cheap shot, taking a run at him from behind and smashing his head into the glass.  As a result the Flames’ top defenseman had to sit the next game out on suspension, hurting his team this time and not the opposition. Many would say that ugly hit deserved revenge.  Rather than take a cheap shot in return, the biggest retaliation a team can have is winning the game by playing hard-nosed, fair hockey. That is exactly what the Lightning did by taking the series and winning the Stanley Cup.

There are so many qualities needed in order to have the heart of a champion: discipline, perseverance, dedication, endurance, focus, and the ability to overcome any obstacle. We all admire heroes who have made it to the top and have accomplished their goals and become champions. They have displayed the heart to withstand and endure to become great. But the more I understand greatness and what it takes to become successful, the more I see that there is one thing everyone must have to become a true champion—and that is a coach.