Love to Win or Hate to Lose?

Some people love to win. Others hate to lose. Which one are you?

I dislike losing more than I like winning, although it very much depends on the activity, situation, and company. Losing is something nobody likes to have to go through but as Joseph Duffy once said, ¨Losing isn’t the end, sometimes it becomes the beginning.¨

My legs burn as I cross the ball diagonally as a set play for my teammate. As she receives the ball the referee blows three sharp whistles signalling the game´s closure. I jog back to my team huddle where we give a half-hearted cheer and walk to the middle to shake the other team’s hand. Our coach told us to keep our head up and put on a smile; we fought hard. Holding back burning tears, I tell the other team ¨good job,¨ high-fiving them one at a time. 

The walk back to the car is a long one filled with regret and sadness. ¨If only I had done this,” I think to myself, ¨I could have done this play instead of that one.¨ It is very common for players to take all of the credit for losing upon themselves, me not excluded. I usually sitr. in the bathtub sulkily after a game pouting about how I could have done better if I could just go back in time. My emotions usually go back and forth between sadness about losing and anger towards myself and the other team. After I dry myself off and change into pajamas I look at my phone lighting up and dinging with messages from my teammates on our team group chat. We talk about unfairness, the referees, and the other team but mostly just try and console each other.

Soccer is not the only one time when I have to deal with losing, although I lose on a daily basis. Being the competitive person I am, I despise losing but when I am most angry I step out of the situation and think to myself, ¨In 3 years will I remember losing this game of Connect Four?¨ No, no I won’t. The certainty of forgetting lets me forgive myself and move on. 

 All the negative feelings I associate with losing are opposed when I win. The feeling is incredible after all of the stress and hard fought battles, you come out on top. My mood is great for the rest of the day and the group chat is constantly celebrating.  That losing is just as important as winning. You can’t just have one without the other.