Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.

Vince Lombardi

Vince Lombardi is best known as a football coach for the Green Bay Packers from 1959-1967. During his time as head coach, the Packers won five NFL Championships in seven years. The last two Championships they won were the first-ever Super Bowls. Today, the winners of the Super Bowl receive the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Along with coaching the Packers, Lombardi also coached at the high school level, Fordham University, Military Academy at West Point, the New York Giants, and in his final year of coaching, he coached the Washington Redskins (now Washington Commanders). The year after he died in 1970, Vince Lombardi was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Vince Lombardi's website says Lombardi “was known for his strict discipline, attention to detail, and a relentless focus on the fundamentals. He emphasized teamwork, perseverance, and a strong work ethic.” He expected nothing less than greatness out of his players. When you step onto the field, court, or whatever surface you compete on, the act of wanting to win means more than anything else to your teammates and coaches. If you go out there and give everything you have, it will inspire your whole team to do the same. 

Lombardi believed that winning was a habit, as was losing. You get in the habit of working as hard as you can and creating a mindset that you will not lose. At the same time, it is also easy to get into the habit of being lazy during games and competitions. Once you lose one game, you can create the mindset that you always expect to lose. 

The objective of sports is to win. If your goal is not to win every time you compete, what's the point of being an athlete? This is less about the actual act of winning and more about how you should have the mindset that you want to win all the time. This is how you can be successful.