- Nov 10, 2010
- 454
- 436
Exactly my point. Your CP's team earned respect from others and a lesson that sometimes the win doesn't mean that they actually win... Sometimes a loss is an even bigger win, in the end, and our CP's learn much more with that experience than that other team did by taking home an NCA title. They learn the 'rights and wrongs' of the world and so much more through wins and losses.Unfortunately the experiences that teach us the most in life, are often very unhappy experiences in the moment. My CP learned that a few years ago at NCA.
She had been fortunate and went for a couple of years without ever suffering a loss. They worked hard and earned their success always remaining humble and exemplifying good sportsmanship. But then at NCA they came up against a sandbagging team that had Level 5 athletes on a Level 2 team. The rules were different then. What the team did was not illegal. They exploited a loophole and felt no shame in doing so. They had a grudge against our coaches and the athletes suffered because of it. Worse yet the other gym was very vocal and arrogant in their actions.
My daughter's team performed well but ultimately took a close second to the stacked team. They were crushed and there were some tears. This was unfortunate but also a learning opportunity about life for our athletes. Albeit a bitter pill to swallow, they remained good sports thru it all. They walked the halls and traded shirts and pins. The went up to everyone they saw in an NCA jacket and congratulated them on their win. They didn't complain but their hurt couldn't be hidden from those they knew.
What they found in return was so unexpected. Athletes from gyms all over showed so much love. Some athletes offered to donate their jackets to individuals on our team. Others provided comfort and offered words of reassurance to team members. I was so touched by how sympathetic and caring everyone was.
There were other teams that reacted very vocally, confronting the offending gym. We would have fathered
We felt fortunate to be shown such support by so many individuals. In the end we left NCA feeling like we won because we lost. Given a choice we would have liked to get first place. But, we took home so much more by losing than we ever would have by winning. No jackets but in reality we were the winners. The other gym took took home jackets, a trophy, a bad reputation and the knowledge that they showed the cheer world what they're made of (and it wasn't pretty).
In the end categorymembers.
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