The old adage in life is that you wouldn't appreciate the mountains if it weren't for the valleys. And, in sports, this is also true.
If you won every tournament, championship, or game, how challenging would your sport be for you?
Would you lose interest? Of course you would! That's why it is important to remember that in order for you to learn and continue to grow as an athlete (and even as a person) you can't win every time and need to grow from defeat.
Athletes Who Hate To Lose
But still, many athletes hate to lose and not be the best every time that they are in play. This mindset can be both an asset and a detriment, depending on how it is used.
Competitiveness is a quality that all champion athletes posses - they simply hate to lose or love to win and this drives them to succeed.
However, a strong competitive drive can work against some athletes because even with the smallest of failures or setbacks - they lose confidence, become frustrated with themselves, and lose motivation. Some athlete might even give up.
How To Use Failure to Improve
Growing your confidence by learning from failure seems like a contradiction. Some of my players argue that nothing good can come from making mistakes, losing a game, or failing.
In reality, however, the best lessons are often learned in light of a tragedy-no matter how big or how small.
"In order for anything to be considered a success, you must learn something from the experience. Sometimes, our greatest triumphs can come from what, at the time, seem like our greatest failures, or setbacks."
~Dan Jansen, Speed skater
Athletes who respond to adversity in a positive way and use setbacks as a means to grow rather than an opportunity to lose confidence and motivation, will learn faster and become more successful.
If your first response to adversity is to become upset, berate yourself, and lose confidence, it makes it harder for you to grow as an athlete!
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