Still in the Fight

We went 0–5 this weekend.

There is no way to dress that up, and I do not think we need to.

Our 5/6 Grade Team played with seven boys: three rising sixth graders, three rising fifth graders, and one rising fourth grader. Because this was one of the last two-day tournaments of the summer, many of the teams were bigger, more experienced, and made up primarily of rising seventh graders.

The size difference was significant from the opening tip.

This team has competed in its own age division, won tournaments, and had not been blown out of a game all season. Losing five games by wide margins was not something these boys were used to.

I asked them to compete anyway.

I asked them not to quit, not to feel sorry for themselves, and not to let the score decide how hard they played. The games were difficult, but the boys continued to fight until the clock hit zero.

Winning is fun. Losing is not. But there are lessons that can only be learned when things are not going your way.

There are lessons in continuing to work when the outcome is no longer in doubt. There are lessons in staying together when frustration starts to build. There are lessons in getting knocked down, walking back onto the court, and choosing to compete again.

Those lessons have applications far beyond basketball.

We did not leave the tournament with a win, but we did leave as a better team. The boys faced bigger and older competition, fought through a lot of adversity, and learned something about themselves in the process.

At the end of the weekend, I looked into their eyes and could see that they were still in the fight.

They were disappointed, but they were not defeated.

They are ready to get back to work. Ready to improve. Ready to keep competing.

Ready to continue earning it, every day.

EARNED. EVERYDAY.