Don't Let A Loss Ruin The Moment

Last Friday morning, Ethan and I hopped in the car and drove from Fresno to Las Vegas to watch Fresno State play USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.  It was a great opportunity to get away, have a little fun and spend some quality time with my oldest son.  It didn't take long to see that this was going to be a tough game and unfortunately, the Bulldogs didn't fare too well against the mighty Trojans of USC. When USC scored a touchdown that put the game out of reach, Ethan turned to me and said, "Dad, even if the Bulldogs lose, I still had fun and am glad we came!"  It was refreshing to hear his comment about having fun in spite of the outcome.

As we headed to the car following the game, I saw several people visibly upset because of the loss. You could hear some making rude remarks about the coaching decisions and the mistakes made by the players. Others engaged in verbal arguments with USC fans, clearly taking things too seriously and forgetting that it is just a game!  It made me think of the quote made famous by former UCLA Football Coach Henry Russell Sanders.  He said, " Winning is not everything; it's the only thing."  To some individuals, that statement is one they take quite seriously!  Lost in the emotion of Fresno State losing a football game was the great weather and awesome pregame show.  Also lost, was the fact that, the team had a great year in spite of the loss.  Had I let my emotions get the best of me, the fact that I got to spend a wonderful weekend with my son would have been lost as well. 

I believe that too often in life, we take some things far too seriously.  Just sit at any youth sports event and you will understand my point.   When the leagues solicit volunteers to coach the teams, very few parents sign up to help, but just let the games start and every parent suddenly becomes a head coach.  Parents curse at other parents, yell at the opposing team's kids, distract their own children by "coaching" from the sidelines, yell at the referees and get all worked up if their kid doesn't play enough, or God forbid their team loses the game.  Lost is the idea of kids just playing a game for the fun of it. 

I'm afraid that some kid’s memories of participating in sports are clouded with screaming parents and unrealistic expectations.

My point is simple today, try not to let the petty negatives in life get in the way of the big picture.  While things may go wrong and don't turn out how we would like them to, I encourage you to take a deep breath, relax and don't let a loss ruin the moment.