Losing a game, a match or competition hurts. You probably trained so much for the game. You put
the time in,
you tried your best but somehow you didn’t win. People might say to you “cheer up, it’s
just a game”, but it doesn’t help
-
winning means a lot to you. Here are some ways that you can
begin to feel okay with your loss:
Sit with the feeling. If you feel u
pset, sad, or angry that’s okay. Don’t try to fight your feelings, feel
them. Cry if you need to. Be angry if you need to (just don’t hurt anyone). The more you fight your
feelings the more they are going to get to you.
Don’t let anyone make you feel bad
. Your parents, teachers, or teammates might try to make you
feel bad for losing. This is not fair. You tried your best, and they must accept that. Don’t let their
words and comments make you feel worse.
Don’t make yourself feel bad. You might be bullyin
g yourself. You might be telling yourself stuff like
“I deserved to lose”, or “I am loser”, even “I am the worst player in the world”. Stop. Beating
yourself up like this won’t make yourself feel any better. What happened is in the past. Accept that
and be
kind to yourself.
You will feel better again. Right now, you probably feel really bad. It feels like you’ll never get over
this loss. As unlikely as this sounds, you will feel better. Things will feel normal again. It might take
time, but you will be hap
py again.
You tried your best. Remember this. You lost, yes. You did what you can though. Sometimes you
will lose. The only thing to do is learn from your loss and move forward. It will make you a better
player next time.
You've got this.
Change your perspective and uncover a way forward for you!
Here are some things that can help you with that.
YouTube
Great
reads
A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
Joy Taylor has always believed home is the house she lived in her entire life. But then her dad lost his job, and suddenly, home becomes a tiny apartment.
Epic Year by Nina Hamza
Ahmed Aziz is having an epic year—epically bad.After his dad gets sick, the family moves from Hawaii to Minnesota for his dad’s treatment. Even though his dad grew up there, Ahmed can’t imagine a worse place to live.
Not All Heroes by Josephine Cameron
Even though her family moved across the country for a “fresh start” after her little brother’s death, eleven-year-old Zinnia Helinski still feels like she’s stuck waiting for her new life to begin.
Great
Films
Chicken Little
When a piece of sky falls on the head of Chicken Little, no one believes him. However, his friends trust him and together they save the world from ending.
Kicking and Screaming
Phil, a young man who has always been haunted by his father's competitive nature, coaches his son's soccer team. Old scores come into play as Phil's team competes against his father's team
Bend It Like Beckham
A girl bends the rules, to reach her goal, in professional soccer. But her traditional parents refuse to even consider it and want her to hang up her football boots, find a nice boy and learn to cook.
Spotify
This playlist will make things a little bit better, even just for a moment.
Places to find more resources
Would you like to get inspired about your life?
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If you would like to explore what’s going on for you today, then just jump on! You will be welcomed to a safe, warm, non-judgemental space where you can be yourself and uncover what is important to you. You have all the answers. Let us help you find your way.
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