Hershey Bears goaltender Zach Fucale (35) raises the Calder Cup following Hershey's 3-2 overtime victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 7 of the 2024 Calder Cup Finals. (Photo courtesy of KATIE FRI/HERSHEY BEARS)

HERSHEY — To be a champion is not only defined by winning awards or trophies but also by the resilience and the courage to face new challenges and hardships every day while committing to continuous improvement.

A champion, regardless of stature, will celebrate victories while also preparing for the next challenge. A champion serves as a leader and an inspiration to those around them while inspiring people through actions and expertise.

There are no specific qualifications to becoming a champion. However, you must be able to work hard and remain persistent.

The Hershey Bears’ coaches and players know how to do just that. The Bears are a professional ice hockey team located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Bears are famously known as the back-to-back Calder Cup Champions in 2022-23 and 2023-24. These wins defined the Bears two years in a row. However, the meaning runs a lot deeper for head coach and former Hershey defenseman, Todd Nelson.

Nelson is one of three people in league history to win a Calder Cup as a player, assistant coach and head coach.

“In my eyes, first off, you have to have the right attitude, you have to have swagger, you have to be a professional where you come to work everyday and make yourself better each and every day,” Nelson explained. “You always have to thrive higher and higher every time you come to work. That’s one of the things that we can teach, you can teach winning, and how you do that is you have to have a tight-knit group. I know it is cliche but it’s really important especially in the game of hockey, and that’s not just the players it’s everybody involved. A champion is someone that never quits, you learn from your mistakes and you make yourself better. You have to be tremendously unselfish. If you get to a point with your team where the players are playing hard for each other and not themselves, that’s when you will have success.”

Winning one title is a battle and challenge of its own. Winning two titles back-to-back is something most people will never experience. Getting to a position to win a title is the hardest thing the team has to learn how to do.

“From my personal career, the toughest one to win was the first one, because a lot of people don’t win championships, and so the first one is just when you are trying to get to the top of the mountain and you finally climbed it and you are at the top, and you got it done, and you can be proud of your accomplishment. The second one, they knew how to win, they knew what it takes and they knew how hard it was going to be,” Nelson said. “When you don’t win championships it doesn’t seem like it’s achievable, but when you do win, it’s gratifying. It gives you a thirst and a hunger for more.”

After winning anything once, it is easy to get lost in the thrill. Nelson had to ensure that his team stayed motivated and humble in order to win their second title.

“The game of hockey is very humbling,” Nelson said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are. You have to keep on striving for the next level. We have had a couple games this year that have brought us back to reality. If you are too cocky and arrogant, teams are going to knock you off. That’s just the way life works.”

“Attitude is first and foremost,” Nelson said. “You are going to go through ups and downs and you have to be positive the whole time. Your character and who you are as a person, work ethic, if you can outwork the other team, you usually win.”

All of these qualities factor into how he creates a team that can go onto the ice and win titles.

These qualities do not only apply to a hockey team, they also apply to any sports team, musical group, or any individual person who is hoping to reach the greatest achievement in their field. Champions are not only a team that gets to stand at the top of the podium, but also anyone that is willing to put in the work, stay sharp, give it their all every day, and go through hardships while remaining positive and keeping a good outlook.