In growing up and participating in sports, there is consistent emphasis placed on being a good loser. "Keep your head up; learn from your mistakes; get 'em next time!" All of these are common phrases associated with losing with dignity. While handling defeat is important, a big part to becoming a champion is learning how to win.

With today's professional sports filled with egos and attitudes, showboating and taunting, you as a champion must understand how to win with class. Winning with class means respecting your opponent, being gracious and humble, and carrying yourself as if you have done this before. Celebration is okay. In fact, it's natural to feel good after you've won. But just as it feels great to win, it is very difficult to lose. Winning with class shows that you understand the pains of defeat and do not intend to step on another player when they are down. Your opponent will respect you much more if you control your emotions and show dignity, rather than rub their noses in it with brash behavior and self-glorifying gestures and dances.

You will be a champion! You will win many awards, receive great report cards, and win many games. You will be a leader and a role model amongst your friends. Winning with class will help you to remain grounded and respectful of others, and it will help others to respect you and remember how fun it was to play against you.

So, the next time you see a basketball player talking trash after a dunk, or a football player dancing and shouting after a tackle, place yourself in the shoes of the loser and remember how it feels to have a game winning home run hit off of you. And when you strike out the final batter of a well-pitched victory, pump your fist in celebration, and then carry yourself as a mature person who has won before. Always shake your opponents hand, and be conscious of how a true champion is to act. Over the course of your playing days, you will find yourself in many winning dugouts, and you will experience your share of losses. But when your name is in lights and you are the one collecting multi-million dollar paychecks, those that you've beaten on your path to the big leagues will remember you as a fierce competitor and a gracious champion. They will proudly and happily say to their friends: "Man, I used to lose to that guy all the time!"

This tip was contributed by Dan Keller (Lifeletics Sports Instruction / www.lifeletics.com). More tips like this one can be found at www.eteamz.com/company/instruction.