June 18, 2026
Leadership Wins Championships
By: Idaho Senator Christy Zito
I am not an avid football fan.
Baseball has always been my favorite sport to watch. My youngest son pitched for several years and even earned a college scholarship. I spent countless hours at ballfields and pitching camps, watching players learn, compete, and work toward a common goal.
Over the past few years, I have watched more football than I ever imagined I would. What stands out is not just the score but the players’ expertise. Whether in baseball, football, or basketball, athletes spend years training, practicing, and preparing to perform at the highest level.
At the professional level, execution is remarkable. A pitcher and catcher know each other’s tendencies. Infielders know exactly where they need to be. Quarterbacks, receivers, and linemen understand their assignments. Nobody has to tell them every move to make.
They know their jobs.
They prepare.
They show up ready to win.
But there is something equally important that often gets overlooked.
Every successful sports team, business, nonprofit, political organization, and volunteer effort has one thing in common:
Effective leadership.
No matter how talented the people are, talent alone is not enough. Without leadership, you simply have individuals working hard but often moving in different directions. You have activity without purpose and effort without coordination.
The coach is not usually the fastest player on the field. The coach is not throwing the touchdown pass or making the tackle.
The coach provides something different:
Vision.
Strategy.
Direction.
A coach studies the competition, develops the game plan, communicates the vision, and helps every player understand how their role contributes to victory. The team embraces that vision, practices the plays, and executes when it matters most.
The same principle applies everywhere—in businesses, churches, community organizations, and political movements.
It should also apply throughout the Idaho Republican Party.
From precinct committeemen and county central committees to district and state leadership, success requires more than dedicated volunteers. We need leaders who can articulate a clear vision, unite people around shared goals, and develop a strategy for success.
When people understand the vision, they become invested. When they are invested, they become committed. When they are committed, they work together.
Winning does not happen by accident. It happens when good people unite behind a clear vision, guided by effective leadership and committed to a strategy that turns principles into results.
Whether on a football field, in a business, or within the Idaho Republican Party, the formula remains the same:
Leadership matters.
Vision matters.
Strategy matters.
And when those elements come together, we win.
God bless,
Senator Christy Zito
District 8,
Protecting Freedom for Future Generations
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