Legendary Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi had many inspirational quotes in his arsenal, but one resonates with me in relation to the establishment of a winning culture: “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” 

It starts with a mindset that you will not be defeated. Many coaches and athletes want the glory, but they don't want to put in the time to establish a successful culture.

Do you think the New England Patriots have done it? Love them or hate them, Bill Belichick and his staff have infused a culture of winning from the top executives in their office to the support staff, down through the players.

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But what makes up a winning culture? Here are 4 key components:

1. Discipline: In the offseason, it is easy to lose sight of your goals, but true champions work harder in the offseason to inspire their teammates to reach higher and push harder to get those extra reps. Discipline applies to game scenarios as much as it does to offseason work. Do you maintain good eye control to prevent the trick play from occurring? Do you utilize proper technique? The behaviors you need to win are rooted in discipline.

2. Determination: It's imperative that you go after your goals with incredible determination, because there'll be naysayers along the way who will try to detour you. If you and your football program are determined to achieve certain goals, it might mean you need to reevaluate the people you associate with outside the program. Are they helping you stay on the right path? Winning cultures eliminate distractions to allow greater focus on the tasks at hand.

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3. Drive: To me, drive equates to work ethic and how bad you want to be great. I wasn't the biggest or fastest student-athlete, but I assure you, no one was going to outwork me in anything that was a competition. That’s the mindset you have to establish, so you can turn your practices into competitions. It'll make your team better, and your practice habits will translate to the game. Cultures of success are made up of driven people. Competition can help sharpen that edge.

4. Character: It truly does matter. It's vital that you treat everyone with respect and dignity. Treating everyone right will establish a culture of excellence, which will give you a higher probability to be successful. Character also helps build and establish trust, which is key for coaches and players.

Work hard. Be great.

Ashton Henderson was a four year letterman at defensive back at Michigan State, as well as an honor student and co-author with former teammate Travis Key of “Beyond The Gridiron: How to successfully transition into collegiate football,” a detailed account of what it takes to be a Division I college football player and successful in life. To learn more about their mission and purchase your copy today, visit: www.beyondthegridironllc.com.

This is an updated version of a blog that originally published March 8, 2017.