“If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that's a big accomplishment. The quality is important because it stays with you the rest of your life …”
-Chris Evert, Hall of Fame tennis player Playing a sport can be like riding a roller coaster, sometimes you're up and sometimes you're down. And the highs can be very high and lows can be extremely low. Every player knows the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The rush that comes with winning is so powerful it’s almost addictive. Many athletes submit themselves the difficulties of rigorous training and competition in order to feel that feeling. That winning feeling is so remarkable and special. We chase it day in and day out. On the flip side, the feelings of failure when we suffer a loss can be devastating. The depths to which an athlete can sink when he has lost an important match is like the deepest, darkest sub-basement you can imagine. It goes down so far the elevator can’t even take you there. If you’ve been in the game for a while, you’ve probably been there. The depression, the loneliness, the shame and guilt… This is where an athlete begins to question not only his performance on a given day but his role on the team, within the sport and even his value as a person.
In sports like tennis or boxing you can lose one round or set then turn around and win the next one and win the whole match. If you lose the first set and your reaction is very strong it cause you to lose the whole shebang. When your emotions are running high it can be difficult to perform as needed in the second set. There’s plenty of time to reflect “when the deal is done.” But just like in poker it’s not advisable to start counting your money too soon, in the combat sports like wrestling or boxing, you don’t want to get carried away prematurely with celebrations or tears.
Professionalism in sports is not limited to people who get paid for playing. Professionalism is an attitude. It stands for many things like objectivity and maturity. A professional has a certain way of looking at the game and stays composed. Things like bad calls, adverse weather conditions and even defeat never ruffle them. On the positive side, money, fame, or world records don’t cause them to lose their center. Keep a positive attitude. Don't change your attitude no matter how many wins or losses you have stacked up. Strive for balance. No matter how gifted an athlete you are the number of years you will not be actively competing in your sport will far outnumber the years that you did compete. For that reason it's important to learn this lesson and not allow yourself to be pulled into an emotional roller coaster ride because of wins or losses.
