We Lost. Now What?

We Trained.

We got in great shape.

We got our lift on.

We bonded with team-building activities.

We made two hundred shots a day.

We were coachable.

We played with passion. We played together.

We had a winning attitude. We communicated.

We drilled. We were ready for the press.

We were ready to combat man to man, zone or combination defenses.

And we lost. Now What?

Here are some great thoughts from The Carpenter by Jon Gordon:

1. Losing is a test designed to measure your courage, commitment and perseverance.
2. Losing builds character.
3. Losing gives perspective.
4. Losing grows faith.
5. Losing makes you appreciate winning later on.

You can’t win ’em all. If we won all the time we’d be prideful and entitled. Competing in a sport, and losing, helps prepare young people for real life. And real life is not going undefeated and winning the state title. Real life is you don’t feel well, the car won’t start, the refrigerator’s broken and the baby is teething. You trust God and press on.

Too often we are outcome oriented. Think about it. Let’s say I am triple covered. I throw the ball over my head – and it goes in the basket – is that a good shot? Unless it is a desperation move to beat the buzzer at the end of a half that would not be wise. BUT IT WENT IN. Whether it went in or not is beside the point. You can miss a shot and it be a good shot. We’ll talk about that in a later blog.

After a loss your attitude has to be right. Is our emphasis on who we can blame (the referees, the slippery ball, the temperature, a coaching decision, a turnover or a couple of missed free throws?) Self-absorbed people need a scapegoat to deflect the blame from them. Losers always have an excuse or an explanation.

The best approach after a loss is to ask:

• What could we have done better?
• How can we benefit from this game?
• What can we learn?

Having an attitude like this allows me to think like champions think.

Gordon says:

Don’t focus on winning a championship. Focus on being a champion.

I like the PGC’s made up word “NATO.”  Not Attached To Outcome. In the final analysis all regular season games are just dress rehearsals. They help us learn, grow and improve. Champions are always climbing. They are never satisfied. They aren’t afraid of competition – or losing a game.

Our players need to understand that Churchill was right:

Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.

You have three choices when adversity hits:

1. You let it destroy you. (We are no good.)
2. You let it define you (You mope. I’m a loser.)
3. You let it develop you. (It fuels the fire. It strengthens your resolve. It teaches you.)

Just keep getting up when you get knocked down.

The true champion gets up every time.

He never quits.

Please share your thoughts on attitude, winning and losing.

-Coach T