Dealing With Loss In Sports

Losing is a necessary part of sports, but no athlete wants to experience it. From sports ranging from football to track, and even golf, losing is as prominent as winning in every single sport. But as winning brings a feeling of ecstasy and thrill, what effect does losing have on athletes?

Psychology Behind Losing

When players experience a loss or poor performance, it often lowers their self-esteem, thinking that a couple of bad performances will define their sports season. However, it is never permanent, and usually just a temporary slump of a few bad performances. But as athletes are always aiming to perfect their game, losing takes a substantial toll on their psychology.

For instance, a high school basketball player gets lost defending an opponent in the 4th quarter, and could even be considered poor defense compared to usual. This could cause the opposing team to find a way to score, potentially costing them the game. Because of only one bad defensive play, this player is essentially burdened with the team’s loss and holds a tremendous effect after the game. A loss is not just defined by being outscored or outperformed but is often defined by just one athlete having one bad performance.

Losing and Winning

Losing is quite literally the opposite of winning, especially in sports. Many sports figures, such as Vince Lombardi (former football coach), bring up the claim that “winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing”. Most athletes are formed with the mindset that winning is the only goal in their respective sport and that any losses or setbacks hurt their development. Athletes like this only aim to be the best at what they do, and will almost always avoid anything that restricts that, especially losing.

Turning a Negative Into a Positive

Despite the reputation that losing has in the sports world, there are benefits that provide growth and development for athletes. When a loss occurs, it is important to learn from it rather than simply move on and forget about those few bad performances. The best way to do this is to identify what went wrong, and how that caused a loss. Athletes can be proactive and change how they perform in their sport, showing development from that loss. Losses are never only negative, as they can allow athletes to develop and learn over time through those minor setbacks.

Furthermore, if athletes focus on merely winning, they are not able to grow from necessary losses. As it is especially prominent in youth sports, the goal of winning limits athletes from sports ethics. This can include:

Teamwork

Accountability

Humbleness

Improvement

Perseverance

These values are key to growth and success in sports, which are even supported by athletes up to the professional level. Some of the most remarkable athletes in the world are known not for their desire to win, but for their perseverance over struggle and loss.

The Role Of Coaches

Coaches play one of the most important roles in an athlete’s career, which includes helping them handle their emotions, especially when losing. They can assist an athlete in ensuring that their emotions do not hinder their actions on the playing field or court. To decrease the negative burden of a loss, coaches must help their athletes positively cope with both winning and losing in their sport.

What can coaches do to help? Coaches can:

Apply a Balanced Perspective on their Sport

Coaches can encourage athletes to keep a healthy perspective of their sports experience. Players often put heavy emphasis on winning and losing, concentrating solely on their sport. However, to perform efficiently, it is better to keep a balance between their sport and personal life.

Reward Effort

During competition and training, it is important to identify the amount of effort an athlete puts in. Coaches should encourage athletes to give 100% effort when they perform. After a competition, coaches and players should communicate on their performance and effort level.

Focus on the Outcome

Putting a focus on the process rather than the outcome will help your athletes feel more in control of their participation. Your athletes do not always have control over the result of a match or game, however, they do have control over their emotions and their outlook.

Conclusion

Although losing is an extremely undesirable outcome in sports, all athletes will at one point succumb to a loss in their sports career. Most of the time, they see it as the end of the world, but it is just a minor setback that allows athletes to take a step back and identify ways they can further improve themselves as both athletes and as a person.

Sources

Donohue, Brad. “Good Sport? The Psychology Behind Losing.” University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 3 Feb. 2023, www.unlv.edu/news/release/good-sport-psychology-behind-losing.

HQ, Cinch. “Why Losing Is an Important Part of Youth Sports.” Cinch., 6 Feb. 2023, cinchhq.com/blog/why-losing-is-an-important-part-of-youth-sports/.

“Mental Toughness and Losing: Sports Psychology Tips.” Sports Psychology Tips | Sport Psychology Articles for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Parents, 29 June 2019, www.peaksports.com/sports-psychology-blog/metnal-toughness-strategies-and-losing/.

Mike. “Psychology of Losing.” EXACT Sports, 3 Oct. 2022, exactsports.com/blog/psychology-of-losing/2011/08/14/.