Victory.

It’s what every athlete strives for. From little league to the major leagues, it’s the ultimate goal of anyone who steps onto a field, court, or rink.

For Brent Suter, victory is something he’s experienced his entire life.

The sophomore was a four-year letterwinner in both basketball and baseball at powerhouse Moeller High in Cincinnati. During Brent’s four years at the school, his basketball team won the conference title four times, won a state championship, and went 85-5. His baseball team won three conference titles and made a state final four, with Brent being named to the All-League and All-City teams.

“We were so used to winning, and being so much more talented than the other teams that even if we didn’t play our best, we knew we could still pull out a victory,” Brent recalls.

This dominance is a common thread in the Suter family. Brent’s father, Mike, won a football national championship in 1982 at Penn State. His mother, Shirley, was a state swimming champion in high school.

Having parents who know how to win had a major impact on Brent’s childhood, inspiring him to reach the high level of achievement that his parents attained.

“Seeing their work ethic really influenced me,” Brent says. “My mom still swims a bunch of laps [and] my dad goes to the gym a lot."

Yet despite their athletic achievements, the Suters always stressed that to be a winner, Brent would need to act like one. That meant showing commitment to his sport and giving one-hundred percent every time he stepped out onto the field.

“I think the biggest thing that we’ve probably taught Brent in terms of being a winner is preparation, working hard, giving it everything you’ve got,” Mike explains. “It’s not just the game. It’s what you’ve got to do to prepare.”

The lesson paid off, as Brent has displayed an unwavering commitment to his passion for baseball ever since he was a child.

“What set him apart is he just loved the game and worked hard at it,” Mike says. “He always wanted to throw a baseball, hit a baseball ... it wasn’t work for him, it was something he really enjoyed.”

Brent distinctly remembers a story from seventh-grade basketball, in which he was playing point guard and didn’t take a shot the entire game, even passing up wide-open lay-ups in order to give his teammates the ball. After the game, his parents brought him into a room which had a sign that read, “A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

“They were saying that if you have the talents God gave you, you should use them,” Brent explains. “You should grab the bull by the horns and take risks. Moments like that really helped me along.”

But for all the individual successes of the Suter family, Mike and Shirley made sure to teach their son that coming out on top wasn’t always the most important result.