Winning isn’t everything …

… but losing sucks.
I
 remember this being the mantra of my basketball team when I was in high school and over the last couple of weeks it’s been brought to my mind more than once. 
After starting the season off struggling on the gridiron and running hot and cold on the volleyball court, the highs and lows really showed themselves last weekend. 
The girls losing their match against Douglas on Thursday and the boys decisively winning their game against Glenrock on Friday was the illustration of that dichotomy. 
I overheard a Dogie player asking another whether they noticed a new smell around Newcastle lately. I had to stop and listen because you’ve got to find out the answer to that curious question.
The student was at a loss to come up with an answer to the query, so the player quite
confidently informed him that it was victory.
The new smell was the smell of victory.
To some, that may seem a little cocky given the rough start the team experienced, and to have that confident demeanor exhibited after only two wins may be a little premature, but I choose to view it as the confidence which is necessary to instill a winning attitude.
That attitude makes a
difference.
It was also great, because just three weeks ago, the football program was broken. Morale was as low as I’ve ever seen it, but with just two back-to-back wins, achieved due to improved overall play by the team, suddenly everything surrounding Dogie football has done a 180.
Kids are excited, coaches are smiling and fans are exuberant.
Whether or not the boys continue their winning ways, and regardless of how this season’s record turns out, nothing can ever take away the feeling of accomplishment those two wins gave everyone.
But man, losing sucks.
Any loss is a disappointment, but the Lady Dogies experienced the epitome of loss that can only be surpassed in high school sports by losing the title game on a buzzer beater shot.
Douglas has dominated 3A volleyball and girls basketball for more years than not during my entire tenure. 
But this year, things are different. They lost some talented players to graduation last year, which opened up a door for other teams to not only compete with them, but to beat them!
The Lady Dogies were on track last week to get the first win over the Lady Bearcats in a long time. They had them on the ropes, up two sets to one and leading 20-12 in the third. 
And then … it all fell apart. Douglas went on to take, not only the third set, but also the fourth and the fifth, giving them the win for the match.
It. Was. Painful.
I know that valuable lessons were learned from the loss, but it doesn’t ease the pain when you fall short of getting the sweetest win ever after basically holding it in the palm of your hand.
Fortunately, the ladies were able to bounce back to take the win over a talented Sundance squad on Friday and NHS ended the weekend on the high of winning in football and volleyball, but it just reiterated to me that though winning isn’t everything, losing sucks.