JUNIORS JOURNAL defeated by defeat Don’t be
Losing means learning, and learning is good by Jaimee Rindy
I
t’s a given fact that in every match there must be a winner and a loser. There are no ties in volleyball. But what happens when you’re on the losing end of this constant cycle of victory and defeat? What happens after every ounce of your spirit, fight, desire and pride are still not enough?
I’ve gone through my fair share of losses throughout my years of playing this sport, including matches that were my ticket to state or to nationals. I was never lucky enough to land a spot on a national championship-winning team (at least, not yet) where the norm was winning quali- fiers and beating teams 25-4. I’ve had to bite, claw and scratch my way to the top. Not to say that those top teams didn’t have to fight; I just think I had to fight harder. Even
when you’ve fought your very hardest, you’re going to lose sometimes. But just because you lose doesn’t mean you aren’t a good player or you don’t have a good team. It just means you have to work harder.
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Being able to get over a tough loss and bounce back stronger is the sign of a great player.
No one gets success handed to them. Losing means there is still work to be done, still more hours to be put in. I remember one match where I got blocked almost every time I hit the ball. When it was over, I knew I would have to focus harder on making smart plays and turning my hit away from the block rather than swinging aimlessly into it on perfect sets. I knew I could work harder so it wouldn’t happen again. A great player will take a loss as a lesson and come back with the experience and knowledge to do it better the next
time. Mistakes are how we as a species have learned what it feels like when you get it right. Besides, if it were easy to win every match, it wouldn’t be fun anymore. A tough loss is also a test
“Being able to get over a tough loss and bounce back stronger is the sign of a great player.”
of the kind of teammate you are. A bad teammate will blame the loss on someone else rather than looking at it as a fault in the unit as a whole. Good teammates will determine what changes they need to make so they can then look to help make changes in others.
While
it’s true that no one likes
to lose, it’s also a part of the experience. Without losing, you would never know how to become a better player mentally. It’s rare to win a championship on your first try. Losing lets you learn what you need to do better.
I do not believe that you should be OK with losing, but I do believe that you should take it as a chance to become stronger rather than seeing it as a wall blocking your road to victory. Like I said, I’ve had my share of loss- es over the years. But it hasn’t stopped me. I’ve kept fighting. Losing shouldn’t stop you. It should make you want that next win even more.
Jaimee Rindy is a junior at Eagle Val- ley High in Gypsum, Colo. She plays for Colorado United Volleyball Club, mostly as a middle blocker but sometimes as an opposite. Her blog appears in every issue of VolleyballUSA.
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