You Have to Lose Before Winning

Sometimes the best wins are born from the hardest losses.

Last night, our 7th-grade football season came to an end with a 14–13 win over a rival that had beaten us in the playoffs the previous year.

After the final whistle, our players stormed the field and dumped an ice-cold cooler of water on my head, celebrating the kind of victory that can only be understood by those who have felt the pain of losing.

Last season’s crushing defeat and this season’s losses to older, stronger teams shaped us. We faced setbacks, missed tackles, experienced tough defeats, and had real moments that tested our character. But each one taught us something. Each one made us better.

Before the rivalry game, our theme for the week was simple: Lose before winning.

I shared with our players how Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, didn’t make varsity in high school, lost in college, and went seven long years in the NBA before finally winning a championship in 1991. Seven years. The best player in the world walked off the court empty-handed, again and again.

That’s what this season was for us; preparation for the future.

Because in life, losses aren’t the opposite of winning; they’re the path to it. Your tests become a testament for someone or something else. It’s essential to remember this, because only teams and people who are tested become great.

I don’t know what your recent losses have been at work or at home, but I do know this: every loss is a lesson, and every lesson gets you closer to the win.

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