No Champion Stands Alone
Build Your Support System, starting this week!
Even if you don’t care about American football (NFL), you’ve felt this pattern.
A team wins, a camera finds the hero, and the story collapses into one face, one throw, one moment. But the older I get, the more I notice what the broadcast rarely lingers on… the quiet people moving in the background, adjusting headsets, taping ankles, fixing details, making sure the “moment” can even happen.
The NFL reminds us what many leaders can forget in all the chaos. The win always belongs to the whole room.
The trap leaders fall into
Sports Analysts love to talk about the 53 men on the roster. Millions watch the 11 on the field at a time. Almost no one talks about the small army that makes those 11 possible.
Behind every highlight reel is a whole system of preparation and care: coordinators and position coaches building a plan and correcting tiny errors, trainers and medical staff keeping bodies from breaking down, scouts and analysts studying tendencies, strength and nutrition staff fueling recovery, ops and equipment crews making sure everything is where it needs to be, travel and video teams keeping the machine moving.
That’s not just football. That’s life.
And here’s the trap. In business, ministry, and family, we subtly train ourselves to believe the “hero” story. One person carries the pressure. One person holds it together. One person is supposed to be strong enough, wise enough, steady enough, spiritual enough, productive enough.
Then we act surprised when they burn out.
Champions do not stand alone. They are carried by the system, the staff, the sacrifices, and the quiet faithfulness of people who never touch the ball.
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What most people miss about winning
A lot of leaders don’t actually need more talent. They need a sideline of people bought into a shared vision and willing to put in the work.
They need people who help them stay clear when stress clouds the room. They need people who tell them the truth when they start believing their own hype. They need people who cover gaps, share load, and keep them from trying to be the entire organization, the entire household, or the entire ministry.
If you carry weight at work or at home, hear this clearly… doing it alone is not noble because it will quickly make you fragile.
The faith layer
Scripture is blunt about this in a way that is an invitation into community.
The Body of Christ is not one part doing everything. It’s many parts, with different roles, different strengths, and shared honor. When one part suffers, the whole body feels it. When one part is honored, everyone rejoices. (1 Corinthians 12:12–27)
If you’re trying to win while isolated, you’re not being strong and brave… you’re being exposing yourself to being flanked by your enemy because there is no one watching your back.
You don’t have to do it all. You have to align it… and invite the right people onto the field with you. If someone comes to mind while you’re reading this, don’t overthink it. Send the message. Specific. Simple. Real.
Build your sideline this week
If this is true, then the practical question is simple.
Who is around you when the game gets real?
Here are five moves you can make immediately, whether you lead a family, a team, a ministry, or a community.
