Lessons to be Learned
January 6, 2009 by Kayte Christensen
There is one thing that concerns me now when I look at the Kings record 34 games into the season and it’s not just the record, 8-26, staring back at me. The number eight jumped out at me and brought back some rather forgettable moments of my own WNBA career.
My rookie year in Phoenix our team finished the season 8-24 and it was one of the most difficult seasons of my playing career, which spanned a considerable amount — from the age of 11 when I started playing to 2008 when I finished playing. I believe one of the best things about sports is everyone can’t win. I don’t agree with parents and schools who under-emphasize winning when it comes to young children. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it should be the most important thing and should never be presented that way. But, winning and losing are lessons any way you look at them. It’s not just a numbers or bragging rights thing. If everyone wins, how do people get better? How do people learn to self-evaluate and push themselves beyond what they thought was even possible? And if everyone wins, how do people find what their passions are, what their talents are and what they love? Sports provide one of the most valuable tools in life.
Thinking back to my eight-win season, what I remember most is what it felt like to leave the locker room before the game expecting it to get better and coming back in after with another L in the column. What is that saying about when life gives you lemons? It’s a bit cliché, but true. Every night we went out on the court and we saw what the other team did — the other coach, player, general manager… all the way through to the training staff — to make their team a winner. You learn from that. You change your routine, your practices, your off-season and you strive to improve.
The hardest thing about that season was knowing my teammates sitting next to me were having the same troubles dealing with our record as I was. So, since next season is a year away, and inevitably it will be an entirely new team in that locker room next year, you have one thing that you can do. Lift up your teammates. When everyone else is getting down, pick them up. Stay after practice and play a competitive shooting game. Have bragging rights about that. Win that game! Have a barbeque for your teammates. Go to the golf course on your off-day. Do anything to keep your team together when things look the glummest. Because when it all comes down to it, there are things you can take away from a losing season, lessons to be learned that aren’t there during the winning seasons.
And most importantly, try not to look at those numbers that keep jumping out at you!
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