5 Strategies to Overcome Defeat and Get More Wins

On a losing streak? Consistently making big mistakes at practice or during games? Check out these 5 tips for overcoming defeat and getting your head back in the game.

Sit with it.  

Allow yourself to feel all the feelings associated with losing that game/race/event.  It is natural to feel anger or disappointment around losing or making a mistake when you are expected to play your best.  Give yourself a set amount of time to process the disappointment, especially if you are expected to continue competing.  What that looks like can differ according to your sport, but taking a couple of minutes off to the side during the competition (at the end of a quarter, halftime, etc.) to yell, cry, get the emotions out, then be emotionally and mentally ready to get back in the game. If your team lost a game, accept your contribution to the loss and keep in mind that after you allow yourself to sit with it, you will be resilient and ready to approach the next one with a fresh perspective.

Learn from it. 

Time to face the hard stuff.  What mistakes did you make?  How did you contribute to your team’s loss?  How will you better handle this exact situation/play in the future?  Journaling or examining film can be a great way to assess your prior performance.  Break down parts of your race/game/match and talk over how you could have better executed your role with your coach.  Tracking developing skills and analyzing games and practices in an organized way can show you trends in the mistakes you are making.  As an athlete, you must recognize your weaknesses to turn them into strengths.

Move on.  

Great athletes have a short memory.  This phrase sounds counterintuitive because it seems that great athletes would want to constantly replay their success to remain confident.  While it is true that confidence is a big factor for elite performers, you must always remain focused on the task at hand.  A game or competition is not a time to dwell on past mistakes, or bask in the glory of positive performances, but rather follow the game plan.  So whether your last game or competition resulted in a loss or win, it is time to move on. 

Gear up.  

There is a good chance as an athlete that you are familiar with the phrase “in the zone” or “flow.”  Achieving this state often correlates with top performance, but getting there requires special ingredients that are only possible if an athlete is prepared and ready to take on a challenge.  Athletes should look at competition as just that - a chance to test their skills without a guaranteed outcome.  If you know you have the competency to compete, but your competition is also highly skilled, do you crumble under pressure or embrace the opportunity to shine?  Have you put in the time and work to properly prepare?  If the answer is yes, then you are primed for “personal best” territory.

Enjoy the moment.  

An often repeated phrase in the sports world is “trust the process.” But how many athletes do this during their careers?  The process, or the “grind” is the part that athletes just endure day to day to ultimately get to the big game or event.  Through my time as a college athlete and coach, I have found it to be true that the real lessons that last a lifetime are acquired from the entirety of the journey.  Sure it is fun to remember that one big win, but the real gems are found in the ordinary moments.  If you find yourself living in the future, just remember why you played your sport in the first place, for the love of the game.