slucero wrote:that's a "the Agony of Defeat" moment right there..
I know... right? And that's the thing about the Olympics and it being the pinnacle of one's trek to greatness. These kids train intensely their entire lives with the hopes of being good enough to compete with the best of the best.
For most, huge sacrifices are made by their parents and families to better their chances of achieving their dreams. 1% of those who aspire to become an Olympian actually make it.
I coached girls' tournament and recreational softball for 10 years until retiring a few years ago. One of the things I instilled in the girls was that when we were on the field, we were there to compete and at the end of 7 innings (or other factors that could end a game sooner...) I wanted them to walk off the field knowing they played the best they could with no regrets and no missed opportunities. If, on the occasions we lost, we could say that we did those things, we can walk to the dugout with our heads held just as high as if we had won. It's one thing to get beat by a team who was better prepared for the game than we were. It's completely another to lose because we beat ourselves. In the arena of girls' softball, you play a game then go home, practice a few times during the week and play another game the next week. Unfortunately, these athletes put an entire life's work on the line for a single chance to shine brighter, stronger, faster than everyone else and when this happens, I can only imagine the complete devastation and heartbreak.
