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closeThe thrill of victory and agony of defeat
Marques Hunter
of the Gateway
Those of us who play sports take winning and losing too seriously. We sometimes get so caught up in the moment that all we care about is winning.
It’s a feeling of exhilaration — or rejection, if we lose. We know one of those two feelings will jolt our bodies at the end of the game.
But that’s what we live for.
In sports, everybody deserves a shot to win. It’s a never-ending, tug of war that can result in being crowned a champion.
Think about the last time you lost an important game. It might have been a sport in which you came close to winning. Do you feel like it wasn’t worth competing, considering how much it hurt to lose?
When you win, though, you feel untouchable.
Those who don’t like intense competition never experience heartfelt rejection. It’s the sacrifice we all make in sports. We feel the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.
Whether we win or lose, though, the only aspect we will always be judged on is how we play the game.
Sports is all about character. The next time you win or lose, think about how you handled your rush of emotions.
One of the mottos I think we all need to be reminded of is in the Little League Oath. It says, “Whether we win or lose, we always try our best.”
Winning usually equates to having more fun, and losing, well, it sucks.
Will there ever be a game I lose where I feel good? Probably not.
Will there ever be a game that I win and feel bad? Probably not.
Either way, you should be able to look back and say you tried your best. That’s all that really matters.
If you re-create the moment and believe you put out just 90 percent, you’ve let yourself and your teammates down. I believe winning comes from inside; you can lose and still come away a winner.
Matt Henckel was the starting pitcher for the Gig Harbor Nationals that ended up losing to Gig Harbor American in extra innings. He threw an excellent game, but his team still lost.
Henckel and his teammates tried their best. That makes them winners.
The hardest part is not letting your emotions completely consume you. In games that are very close, the little details about the games are hard to forget.
Simply playing and not thinking about winning or losing doesn’t happen. But I believe a person’s true character shines, no matter what the outcome.
We hold sportsmanship to a high standard because it builds integrity in sports. The people who can’t stand to lose are usually the ones who are at the front of the line, dying for another opportunity to win again.
It goes to show that, the harder you lose, the harder it is to not play again.
After Gig Harbor National lost, the players kept their heads high. I’m sure they can’t wait to prove themselves in another baseball game.
We challenge ourselves to win. And when we don’t, we should respect the end result and move on.