Learn to LOSE Successfully!!!!

Learn to lose successfully!!!How is that for a statement that doesn't make sense!!!

Yet, if you don't learn to lose successfully, you won't do so well in this life. I've been reminded of this quite strongly over this past week.

Our Junior Midgets football team didn't win one game this season. Well, our record says 1-7, but that is because one of the teams didn't show up to play and we won by forfeit.

In spite of this record, we were invited to take our young men to the Junior Jaguar Bowl Game in Jacksonville, FL. This is a bowl game for the teams that didn't make it to the playoffs. The best part is that our young men will meet some of the NFL Jaguar players - It will be the high light of the season for them!!!!!!

Well, as I was excitedly calling parents to let them know, I was surprised by some of the responses: "I don't think they deserve a bowl game. In case, you didn't notice, we didn't win a game. I'm tired of my son loosing."

WHAT?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If my mom wasn't reading this blog, I'd add some other choice words) But seriously!!!! Are you for real????!!!!! You won't let your son go to a NFL Bowl game because you don't want him to lose.

Excuse me!!!! One of the best things that a parent can do to help a child prepare for adulthood is to help him to learn to lose. Like you, I love my children to death!!! They are my world, but to only give them what they want; to only make sure that they are having a good experience or to be happy IS NOT good for them - not at all. Life doesn't care and will give them plenty of opportunity to successfully lose. Sorry, as parents, we may not like it, but that is the way that it is....

All of this "shallowness" over losing has made me remember my high school days. I played all kinds of sports: Track, Basketball, Softball, Volleyball and Soccer. We had many wins and victory is SOOOOOOOOO sweet!!!!!! Some were wins by a narrow margin and you can't beat that rush!!! My daughter's Cheer squad took 1st place this past weekend in their conference. When they were announced winners, it took everything that I had to not bawl my eyes out. As it was, I cried some and hugged people that I didn't know. So I'm not taking away the "high" that you get from a win. What I am saying is that you won't survive life, if you don't learn to lose successfully!

Here is what I've learned from losing:

Learning to lose successfully has taught me to be the Cheerleader that I am. I learned that when we lost and I blamed a team mate or a coach not only did we lose a game, but I lost friends. Yet, when I was able to look at the mistakes that I had made - own up to them - not only could I correct them, but I became less critical of other. I learned that when I got behind my team mate and affirmed them with positive, not only did I keep my friends, but my encouragement gave them the strength to do better. Learning to lose successfully taught me to be a cheer leader and not a critic.

Learning to lose successfully has taught me to fight. To get back up and fight. I remember the "suicides" on Monday night. This was when Coach had us sprint UP a steep hill and jog down. We'd do this sprint to the point that I'd puke. Yet, when Coach would say "one more time", I'd find it inside of me to be able to do it "one more time". After a loss, we weren't allowed to quit. We had to get back out to practice, work harder and then come game day - fight like heck to win!!!! And if we lost agin, we still had to get to back out to practice...

How many times have you as an adult had to dig down to your very core and do it "one more time"??? How many times as an adult have we had to face a person/situation again and again and again until we are able to overcome it. How many times as an adult have we been knocked down and had to come out fighting because though it didn't feel good, it (or they)was worth it!!!!!

So, remember the next time that you are facing a loss, you can use it to teach you to be a cheerleader, or to dig deep and give it "one more time", or face a situation again and again and again or fight!!!

Here is a picture of my young men. I've grown fond of them this season and hope that I get to meet them as young adult. Each is a life worth standing behind - in spite of a loosing season!!!