For the third year in a row, my son's little league team did not make it
past Playoff Game One. Despite a strong season and some pretty scrappy
players, they just couldn't pull it off. So we continue with the rest of
our lives, no longer scheduling around "maybe" baseball games, looking
toward the end of school and toward summer plans.
As we walked home from the game, my son having shaken hands with the
other team, and all of us having thanked one of the coaches, we talked
about the game and the year. While my son hadn't made a game-saving or
game-winning play, he had certainly carried his weight. While he might
not be remembered as a star of the team, he had improved on many things
over the course of the season, and had really worked hard practicing on
his own between games. Is he upset (or are we) that the team won't have a
shot at the title? Sure. Winning is fun. Is he (or are we) sad that the
season is suddenly over? Maybe, but sometimes moving on is actually
okay. Can he walk away knowing he was there when it mattered, doing his
best when he could? I think so. And sometimes--whether you're a kid or
an adult--that is more important than the winning and the trophies--to
know that you have worked, and grown, and improved, and contributed.
Sometimes, it really is not so much about whether you win or lose.
Sometimes, if you work at it, it really is about how you play the game.
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