(S48) PT #3 - When The Going Gets Tough

[TomHanks]

Win or lose, it's positive vibes only from me for the NOLA locker room. Every loss is simply a new opportunity to start our miracle run where we don't lose a single game clear through the Ultimus. And I make that very clear with a Hardwon Surefoot-esque "watch this". Following NOLA's loss to Austin on Friday night, this team will never lose again. The original inspiration for that (and the gif used) is from Shoresy, but the sentiment remains. The sim is always gonna sim, home field advantage is going to be what it is, all we can do as a team is our best to keep the locker room an upbeat area, and keep working one our updates. Every other team in the ISFL is trying to do the same thing, have a good time. And, sim gods willing, bring home an Ultimus trophy when your team is in their window to compete. Everyone in the NOLA locker room is on the same page, we're here to have fun, and this season the win streak starts right now. We're never losing again.

[araa]

[ItsFrenchie]

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[CementHands]

SHL PT Claim

[lock180]

I boost team morale by silently staring at them making clear that I am the alpha male and that I am disappointed in every last one of them. After doing so the fear (that I can smell) radiates from them and makes them play better. I also help the team out by writing a strongly worded letter to the Sim Team Department of the ISFL explaining how they have cheated us out of games we should have clearly won. After doing so we have yet to lose so this strategy definitely works. I am not much for confrontation but I'm also not much one for positive reinforcement which is why there will be no ping pong tables provided to the team at any point during the season. Morale must be earned the hard way not given away like candy. I was so good as captain last season that they wouldn't allow me to do it again because I am just that good at lifting my teams spirits.

[JoeSteel]

So with this being my 5th season, less than half of that has been on a team that really even had expectations to win. With London, it was generally the idea that winning was second to earning given it's the DSFL so most losses were met with "keep earning and we can keep competing". Altho winning definitely helps retention, everyone can't win. I didn't contribute much at the time as I was still feeling the league out. On NOLA tho I embraced the suck and found it funny to be a homer. Most of the losses were expected and tbh the locker room grew out of that because we had to talk about something besides dots lol. Most of us have our own way of dealing with it at this point, as this recent Austin game has showcased. I don't take the losses personal because it's all numbers and actual wolverines behind the coding so I do my best to make light of the situations. Even tho this loss burned, we're not strangers to hitting on lower % win chances.

[kenvald]

As always when a tough loss happens, or any kind of loss really, it's important to look ahead. Moving on from the negative thoughts. Jamdrian doesn't like to sit and think about what could've been. After you study the tapes from the game, there's no point in losing anymore sleep. Shit happens, but after each game there's nothing more you can do to change the score. So there's no point sulking or being frustrated. Jamdrian often tries to share this tip with the rest of the Otters, and as expected some are more willing to listen than others. Which is fine. Everyone handles loss in different ways. The one thing Jamdrian asks of his peers, as one of the key veterans on the team, is to not let a past game affect the next game. The Otters locker room is a strong one and while feelings can be down at times, things always turn around before the next game.

[AJay887]

After a disappointing loss on the field, (of which the Copperheads have had a few of this season), the first thing that Gajeel does is to chow down on a snack. If you're going to take out your frustrations in a healthy manner, can't be running on an empty belly. Heading to the weight room with his teammates, the first step is to release any pent up anger from his own poor performance. Luckily there's plenty of punching bags in there for healthy destressing. Hitting the weights in addition is just another way to work through it, and clear your head. After calming down a bit, Gajeel tries talking with each of his teammates on defense, to try to get tips from them about how to improve on his performance from a loss, and only if asked, provides his thoughts as well on others' performances. The best way to deal with a loss is to look to how you'll improve from it in the future.

165 words

[ForSucksFake]

Losing can be really hard on the psyche. It’s not that you expect to win every game, but you hope within the moment, not just to win, but to win convincingly. To win without any doubt. I think every time my team loses, I fast track my mind to the playoffs, where one loss is all it takes. Then it’s all over. 

When we lose, I immediately go to my update page and sort through my attributes. I count my TPE and I wonder if bumping something up by five could have made a difference. The sim is tough, unkind, and sometimes just wrong. I’ve been here long enough to know that having a ton of losses doesn’t mean I did something wrong but it’s hard to get over that thought process. I just trust my GMs, my team’s sim team and our game plan. All I can do is get my updates in and cross my fingers. That’s all any of us can do.

[Raven]

Code:

Written option: Handling a loss takes and learning from your mistakes takes some grit and determination. You can't win them all! How do you help boost the team's morale and get back on track after a tough loss? Do you get back to work focusing on improving what you yourself can do better, or do you take leadership and pep talk your teammates? Or maybe your own third method!

After an increditble 7-0 start to the season, the Chicago Butchers have fallen a little bit and have now lost three games in a row. Going 7-3 after the start they had has been rough on the players and despite still being first in the conference, a bit of confidence was lost. As the new kid in town Gusztáv Farkas has questioned how to deal with this. Would keep his head down and continue to work hard on improving himself so he can perform at his absolute best and help the team over the hump. Or would he step up, taking on the role as a motivator in these trying times. While maybe not as old or experienced as the others, show through positivity and determination to the cause, that this little losing streak can be broken.

Farkas decided to just do that. After the latest lost, the captians did their team talk. Once they finished, Farkas stood up. Shining a positive light on the losses as something they can learn from. He vowed to continue to work hard and do his best to put the team back in a position they can win. Looking at his team mates, this seemed to have sparked something in them as well. Promises to the captains and coaching staff to take responsibility and work hard.

[222 words]