Ever had a coach that demands perfection? He probably tells you that winning is the only thing right? You probably have your own take on the situation but I beg to differ with his opinion. Winning is great but losing is also important. Losing teaches you lessons that winning can’t. Also when a coach is demanding like this, it puts an enormous amount of pressure on his players.

Although he may not think so, take it from a players point-of-view, you are! Most of the time, his players are just afraid to say anything. Le me prove me point.

What is winning without losing? It wouldn’t be the same if you had never felt the agony of a loss. Think about it this way, if you spent your whole life winning, it would become habit and you’d lose your passion for the game. But when you throw in a few losses, it makes winning feel much better.

Losing is never fun, but when you beat a team who has previously beaten you, it feels grand. This is just one reason that winning isn’t the only thing, but my next point is one that is critical in the game of life.

Sports teach you something that can’t be taught anywhere else; self discipline. But what teaches you that lesson? Winning every game doesn’t. When you lose however, you look at it as a building block to get better. After a loss, you have more motivation to get better. To prove that, after a win, how do feel? Like you don’t need to get any better? This thought probably crosses your mind “We won the way we are, so why do we need to practice anymore?” Right? Wrong! A good coach will teach you that no matter what, you must always further your skills. But some coaches aren’t that way.

Learning is the most important skill you can have in life and sports nurture that gift. When you win, there is little to learn, but when you lose, there is an abundance to be discovered. This is just one more reason that winning isn’t everything.

My last point is simple and easily understood by a bystander but coaches sometimes have a hard time grasping this concept. When a coach tells you that “winning is the only option, losing is unacceptable!” it makes you scared of losing. Pressure is the hardest thing to play with and even harder to play through. In high school it is a lot to ask for considering the fact that professional athletes even have a hard time coping with pressure. Athletes in general play much better when you pressure is applies. Alter that aspect and you’ve altered the players’ mentality. It’s as simple as that.

After reading these three statements, you’ve probably taken your stand on the argument. I just find that it’s easier to play any sport without the fear of losing. When a coach demands a win, that makes you play tense. Any coach that believes winning is the only thing is sadly mistaken. Winning wouldn’t feel as good without the possibility of loss.