It’s the fourth quarter. Our middle school girls’ basketball team is down 45-26. Even though our chance of making a substantial comeback is impossible with a minute left, we’re still playing. We can try to work on our defense and prevent further scoring, or hit our offense and try to cut the deficit on the scoreboard. But bottom line, our game’s not over even if the actual game is a loss. In a losing battle, there are opportunities to learn.
Right after our handshake with the opposing team, we’re going to talk about the positives. Even if they’re minor. We want to recognize and acknowledge the strengths and effort our players put forth. There’s always work to be done. After that loss, we want to make sure our athletes know that we value their effort. They know they messed up. There’s no need for parents or coaches to bring it up again in that moment. We need to focus on the positive, and tomorrow at practice we’ll learn how to fix our mistakes.
Being a good role model for our athletes is key to prevent any blaming, anger, or feelings of insecurity. If coaches and parents react negatively to a loss, so will the athletes. Parents and coaches need to make sure that they acknowledge the other opponents’ success as well. In addition, we can try and teach our athletes to channel their anger and frustration into tomorrow’s practice. Have them bring that passion to practice and we’ll try our best to correct our errors so that we don’t have to feel that way again.
It’s cliché, but losing is a win in my books. Losing presents numerous learning opportunities. With every loss, there’s always growth. We’ll have a better understanding of our gaps and there will be plenty of teaching moments to fill those gaps and hopefully progress next game. But it does take work and patience.
Nobody enjoys losing. But if we can teach our student athletes to respect the game, they’ll know that losing is a part of the game. They’ll also understand that whatever sport they play, there will always be a winner and a loser. It’s nothing personal, but if our athletes have a passion and desire for the sport they play, they’ll have respect for the dynamics and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the game.
