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

[C9Van]

The phrase that springs to mind over losses is that you learn more from losing than you ever will from winning and weirdly for individuals this helps them grow and learn from these experiences. Now, no-one enjoys losing at all but it usually does happen at least once a season. I do not think any team in either level has ever pulled off the undefeated season so even underdogs have a chance against the greatest teams.

Having a leader be able to help his team mates bounce back from a difficult lose is also huge as the best teams can take the hit and carry on against bigger fish they have to fry. Personally, Lazzy does not let losses get to him as he is pretty good at bouncing back but he could work on perhaps making sure he gets his team mates that are emotional to continue on rather than putting in bigger performances to try and carry them but baby steps.

[162 words]

[nunccoepi]

How do you get your team back up from a loss? Well we've known a few of those here in Kansas City after getting off to a hot start, we've now lost 3 in a row. So, I know that we are better than our record. But that's the thing - no one wants to hear it from a kicker. And I can guarantee you no one right now wants to hear it from a kicker who looks like Harrison Butker. Frankly, that should be reason enough to just defer the job to one of the more glamorous leadership jobs on the team like quarterback, middle line backer, or long snapper. That being said, some positions can afford to ride the wave of their emotions, like running backs and wide receivers who will do better when they get into a groove. But other positions need to have a goldfish mentality, where you immediately forget the last play, like a pitcher in baseball. That would include quarterbacks, of course. But it also includes kickers, like Marshall von Hildebrand. So that would be the essence of the "get right" speech. To have a mindset like a gold fish, ever play is a new one, the score is 0-0, etc. Not original, I know. But sometimes you don't have to make it more complicated than that.

[KC15]

Normally, American Dream’s way to lead a team back to the victorious road after a tough loss is a combination of working that much harder both to improve his own performance and to inspire others by example and speaking up in the locker room.  He would offer encouraging words to guys and gals who were giving it their all, but just came up short on the day and respectfully hold others to account if it looked like they could have put more into the contest.

But Dream is a rookie on his new team, the Berlin Fire Salamanders, and it just doesn’t feel right to say a whole lot in this first year.  Sure, he’ll commiserate with someone who’s down, but he doesn’t feel confident enough – or that he’s earned the right – to seek someone out without an invitation.  He especially isn’t going to say anything that might be considered accusatory.  He will take more chances with that in the coming years after he’s earned that right by his demonstrated effort and commitment to the team overall.

Code:

177 words

[Gwdjohnson]

SHL Affiliate

[ZodiacEXE]

It's been a lot of tough losses for the Copperheads this season, at one point dropping 6 in a row before edging a win over Sarasota by a single point. In a season like this, it can be really hard to motivate the team to keep going and fight for every yard (even when you expect to do poorly and get a good draft pick, no player wants to lose). Right now Crasher Wake is looking to the future to keep going. He knows the team is struggling, but he also knows that it can't last forever. Despite suffering a lost season during one of his peak playing years, Wake keeps playing hard so that he can stay sharp once the talent we all know is on other parts of the team develops into on-field success. And hey, even if the team is losing that doesn't mean we can't all play for individual stats right?

[deadlunatic]

Well, lucky for you guys, we got lots of practice with losing right now. We lost almost every game last season and we are still sitting on one win baby! Well, we watch a lot of tape and try to look for what we can do better week in and week out. Sometimes you got to accept you are in a rebuild and try to improve your personal level of play and then help your team mates improve as well. We also throw some massive pool parties because well why not? Got to do something to lift team morale when we feeling a little down. Sometimes we got to go out and party at the bars as well. Hmm, wonder if that is why we have not been playing as well lately... Might be something to bring up to managemnet next time they ask for my advice. (Jokes on them, they never ask for my advice, but I still give it!).

[MMFLEX]

Playing for Honolulu, you take a lot of losses. A lot of time you can just make fun of @IceBear32 and you'll automatically feel better. However, if making fun of that bozo doesn't do it, you just take a look around the locker room and realize: "Damn, I'm in the best fucking locker room in the league. I have the two best fucking GMs in the league. We have the best young core in the league, quite possibly in the history of the league." Then after thinking about that you realize that rainbows appear in the sky after a storm. So, all we need to do is weather the storm and we'll be seeing our rainbows soon. Positive mindset, trust the process. We're a team that has a history of being able to successfully come out of a rebuild, and we're poised to do it again with more potential than we've ever had before.

[Opera_Phantom]

Jay Cue III is a born leader. He owns that locker room, so when he is upset, everyone there is upset, when he is happy, everyone is happy. Other players are naturally drawn to him, like Opera Phantom and a bottle of wine. So, when the results are not going the Austin Copperheads way, it is only natural that the entire locker room looks up to him to see how he is handling it. And, when he is not passed out drunk, he manages to crack a few jokes to lift up everyone's spirits, until the next time they play and get destroyed. Then it is back to square one. But at least the team is enjoying the season, doing a bunch of stuff with football being the last thing on their minds.
In the end, what matters is not how the season goes results wise, but how many bottle of wine you can destroy without passing out. Big boys stuff.

(160 words)

[Bwestfield]

They say when the going gets tough, the tough get going. The Royals and I have not yet experienced a loss in the DSFL this season, although I would imagine, because I am writing this, that there is one coming soon. The Royals always give everything they have all the time, so there would be no pep talk telling someone or a group that they need to step up. I would take no pep talk from anyone unless I start to be the source of our troubles. I think most players brush it off on a loss or two. When it becomes a string of losses, that's when intervention takes place. If we lose some games and I am to blame I will most definitely just need some down time. Maybe a hike in the woods or a nice long ice bath. Hell, maybe both. All in all, dont beat yourself up over a few bad games, it happens to us all.

[caravaggio]

Losing is very hard on everyone. You spend every waking hour working towards perfection, sure that your plan will dominate, and it’s easy to remember that the other team is likely in the same place as you mentally, and someone has to lose. Sometimes it’s you, and you have to bounce back and keep on fighting, even when things look grim.

As a veteran player, many look to me for guidance and morale in difficult times. I like to stay positive in larger conversations with the team, and to tailor my approach when I get one-on-one talks. It’s important to foster the “us against the world” mentality, and spark that hunger to win. Unfortunately, that method doesn’t work with everyone, and sometimes you need to give it your personal touch. I like to help teammates review tape on what when wrong and what they can do to improve or prepare for the next face off. At the end of the day it keeps everyone motivated and ready to win again.