Disappointment vs regret
When it comes to sports, there’s a difference between disappointment and regret.
Whatever sport you play, and however great of an athlete you may be, disappointment is inevitable at some point in your sports endeavors.
You are going to get beat by someone or by another team. You are going to fall short of a goal. There is going to be someone better than you are at some point in your journey to the top of your sport.
Granted, there is a chance that you will win it all and hoist that championship trophy, but when you understand that only one team, only one runner, only one swimmer, or only one wrestler is going to claim that title of “the best” at the end of a season, you know the possibility of being disappointed because you’re not “the one” is greater than it is of you standing at the top of any given podium.
Disappointment is something that any athlete can understand and deal with.
Regret, on the other hand, is something that will remain with, and haunt, an athlete long after a career comes to an end.
Regret happens when you realize that you didn’t do everything in your power to reach
your goal.
Did you show up and give 110% in every single practice? Did you give it everything you had in every game, race or match? Did you leave it all in the arena? Did you play as a team? Did you put in time outside of practice to perfect your throw, your serve, your hit, your set, your start, your turn, your pace, your kick, your technique, your strength and your stamina? Did you do everything in your power to be the best you could be?
If the answer is no to any of these questions, the seeds of regret become planted, and if the answer is no to more than one of these questions, those seeds are watered, nurtured and grow stronger and stronger.
The Newcastle High School Dogie football team and Lady Dogie volleyball team each suffered a disappointing end to their seasons last weekend. Neither team wanted to go home and hang up their uniforms for the year. Both wanted to play another weekend or two.
However, neither team has to hang their heads and deal with any regret after the way they played in their final contests of the year.
Football had an outstanding season, suffering losses only to 3A Buffalo, the No. 1-ranked Big Horn Rams, a fluke loss in the zero week to Thermopolis, and a first-round playoff game against the No. 4-ranked Cokeville Panthers (who boast the winningest tradition in the state).
The only conference loss on that list of regular season play was against Big Horn, so the team had a great deal of confidence going into their game against Cokeville on Friday, and it showed. The two teams were evenly matched, and both played their hearts out. Things just didn’t go the way the Dogies wanted them to go. However, the Dogies played a great game and should feel only the disappointment of not making it all the way, and not the regret of “if only we would have.”
The same goes for the Lady Dogies. Though the team fell one match short of punching their ticket to the state tournament, they played some of their best volleyball of the season in the regional tournament Friday and Saturday. And they did so facing the adversity of losing a starter for a game and a half, and losing their libero for the same amount of time. They had to adjust and figure things out on the fly, and they did so. They gave both Torrington and Rawlins a real run for their money, and they soundly defeated Burns after losing to them in the regular season.
That neither the boys nor the girls continued on their journey of post-season play was indeed disappointing, but it was not something to regret. Both teams could hold their heads high as they took off their uniforms for the last time this season.
They also ended their season with every reason to look forward to success next year, and I’m sure they will put in the work in the off-season to try to reach the goals they will set for themselves. Fortunately, it won’t be regret that drives them to achieve those goals.