My team Manchester City just won the English Premier League for the second time in three years. Yahoo!
In a book collaboration with academic colleagues called Peak Performance, one of the findings was that champion teams – while they do not always win – always have to be “in contention” to win. That Manchester City spent only 11 days – or 4% – of the total season at the top of the table underscores the point. In a season when the lead at the top of the Premier League table changed hands 25 times this season, they were always within striking distance of the title.
Sport is replete with drama, upsets and turnarounds. Man City’s victory in 2012 was full of heart attack material, with victory gained in the very last seconds. Sunday’s victory was a result of consistency amidst the other key contenders faltering at critical moments.
This is much more than “slow and steady wins the race.” More like “be poised, then pounce!” Or as Vince Lombardi said, “winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.”
