Monday, February 13, 2012

Pushing Through the Rough Patch

Who knew I had a defensive stance like that?!?

  I'm not going to pretend like losing is the worst thing you can go through. Unfortunately, we are reminded on a daily basis that there are things much more difficult to experience. But let me tell you, losing starts to wear on you after a while.

  I'm not exactly sure what my personal record-losing streak stands at for my career, but it's safe to say, if we haven't already surpassed it, we're getting dangerously close. Losing streaks aren't something you really want to keep track of, so you'll have to excuse my lack of stat-keeping.

  My team and I suffered our fifth straight loss over the weekend. That puts our last win coming before Christmas. Here's a situation where only having one game a week isn't doing me any favors. Nearly two months without a win makes for a very frustrated blogger/basketball player!

On the drive.
  When you lose a game, you're chomping at the bit to get back out on the court as quickly as possible, to right any wrongs. To somehow correct the mistakes you made that may have contributed to your team's loss. Practicing makes you feel a little better. But it's not til you get that win, that you're finally 'over' any loss. Until then, you keep seeing the mistakes over and over in your head, playing like a movie.

  I can say, though, after our most-recent game against Armentieres, I am encouraged. We played with fire, and intensity. I could see in my teammates that we were all into the game and focused on winning. It was the most 'together' we had played in months. We played hard, we fought for loose balls, we had a team-spirit that brought us closer. Unfortunately, we just didn't make the plays down the stretch, and came up short on the scoreboard.

  But we'll keep plugging along. There's no other choice. We'll learn from our latest loss, and hopefully become better players (and a better team) because of it. Losing is never ok! But if there's anytime you can be 'ok' with a loss, or a failure, it's when you turn it into something you learn, and grow from. You never want to numb yourself from losing, or from failing. If you're numb, and downfalls no longer affect you, then you're as good as finished. Cause that means you no longer care.

  One quote I continuously come back to is Michael Jordan talking about his failures: "I've failed over and over and over again in my life...and that is why I succeed." That's how MJ made himself the best ever. He took those failures and made himself better. He used his slip-ups as motivation. We can all do the same. We can't let our failures be for naught.


  We're close to turning it around, I can feel it! Fingers-crossed for a better report next week. I think it'll happen!






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