When did you become a champion?

Grateful for Henry (art journal page in gratitude journal)

Henry,
When exactly did you become a champion?  You've always been a good baseball player, and we expected to see you get your share of wins and individual awards. But, lately, something has changed.  You and your teams have started to win championships.  Championships are hard.  You have to win a lot of games, and, during the playoffs, if you lose even one game, you go home.  Your first championship was a long time in coming - not until you were 11 years old and playing on your first majors team.  After that, your travel teams won a couple of local tournaments and eventually a USSSA tournament.  Last year, your all-star team won its first every District Championship and brought home a coveted banner.  Then, this week, in the space of two days, your teams won two championships!
I see the difference in you, too.  Thankfully it's not obnoxious over-confidence and conceit.  It is simply the quiet confidence that you can win consistently enough to always be in contention.  I witnessed it during one of the recent semi-final games when your team played a grueling 14 inning game, and you pitched 7 shut-out innings to keep your team in contention.  I knew that you knew, every time you took the mound, you would not let them score.  I could tell just by looking at you.  And it made me so proud of you.  
Two days later, you pitched a complete game as your other team claimed victory in the league championship game. When I congratulated you on that championship, I said, "Two championships in two days - you've been on a pretty good run."  You smiled and replied, "Yeah. I haven't lost in a while." You've always been a winner, son, but what's different now is that you've become a champion.  And I am so grateful to have been a witness to it.
 Love,
Mom