I lost a football match this weekend and all my friends saw me crying afterwards. How will I ever live this down? I feel like a failure. Is my career over?
Anon, Cardiff
Dear Anon,
I’m terribly sorry to hear about your loss.
Realising other people are more capable than you is a hard pill to swallow. But it’s something we all experience sooner or later. No matter how talented you are, you can’t win everything every time.
But please don’t see this as the end of your career. Although it won’t soothe your ego to hear it, you need to regard this loss as an experience you can learn from. If you played the same match again, how would you do things differently? What areas of your game could you work on? And, rather than being bitter, consider what you can learn from the other team.
Now you know you need to work to achieve a goal. And when you succeed next time, you’ll appreciate it all the more.
If you’re tempted to give up, think long and hard if that’s really what you want to do. My advice is don’t give up if you love it. And if you love it, be prepared to work for it.
Don’t be ashamed about the crying. I’m sure your team mates shared your frustrations, even if they’re not willing to admit it. Saying that, I expect they – or the other team – will give you a hard time for it at some point. I’m sure you’ve probably had a dig at them in the past, so just laugh it off and it’ll pass.
You did nothing wrong. After all, as recent events have proved, even David Beckham cries sometimes.
Best of luck with your training.
Lydia
