How To Deal With A Tough Loss
Soccer is a 90-minute battle that can be physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing especially when you lose the game.
As if losing isn’t bad enough, it is more difficult when your team dominated the action throughout the game and a few costly mistakes gave the other team the game.
Can you recall a game where your team controlled most of the game… You had several scoring opportunities but failed to convert…
Nonetheless, you kept pushing the pace feeling good about your chances to score…
Then it happened… a bad pass or you failed to clear the ball and, the next thing you know, the opposing team put the ball in the back of the net…
Now you are trailing 1-0 with merely minutes left to play… That emotional letdown can cause you to press or make more mistakes.
Losing despite dominating the game can be demoralizing… You think, “If it weren’t for THAT one mistake, we would have won the game.”
Dealing with that type of loss can either bring your team together or tear your team apart. Your response to that loss will help forge the team’s identity going forward.
If you allow anger and frustration to infiltrate your team, your team will cease to play together as a team.
It will be every man for himself and will jeopardize your level of play on the field.
Countless great teams have seen successful seasons slip away after that one game that they should have won.
Learning from your mistakes and using the loss as a rallying cry can help bring your team together to re-focus on one common goal.
A positive response to a tough loss can help your team set the tone for the remainder of the season or even the following season.
The Kaizer Chiefs of the South African Premier League faced the Orlando Pirates in hopes of advancing to the next round of the Nedbank Cup.
The Chiefs had opportunities to score but couldn’t put the ball in the net and gave up a goal in the 77th minute and another in the 84th minute to lose the game 2-0.
Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela felt that his team’s loss was not a true reflection of his team’s performance but understands it is important to take responsibility, learn from their mistakes, and move forward together.
KOMPHELA: “We had a great first half and a good second half. We created more chances and you go on and lose a match like that. There are no explanations you can make, you just have to take it… We should have done better by taking those chances. We need to improve. But we played great football. For the better part of the match they had no solution for our movement. The only two mistakes we made were the two goals we conceded. We pay the price for that.”
How will the Chiefs respond? Only they can determine if they allow the loss to define them or use the loss to recommit to a common goal.
Tip for rallying the team after a devastating loss:
Don’t allow one loss define you. Great teams don’t look back, they look forward.
Learn from your loss and allow it to motivate you to overcome future obstacles as you push forward together as one cohesive unit.
Check Out Our Video Of The Week, Sports Psychology Case Study – Athletes Who Avoid Mistakes!
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