You win some....You lose some!

As I was watching my sweet little princess Drewby play soccer today, running her little heart out and sweating like crazy.....I was thinking about her competitive spirit. She is, by far, the most competitive person in our house. Everyone else is sort of go with the flow....you win some, you lose some! NOT Drew....she wants to win everytime she plays something. If she can tell that a win is not in her future and the opportunity to walk away from the game arises, she is going to walk away everytime. Her soccer team hasn't scored a goal all season which in turn results in not winning a game all season. I just knew she would be completely discouraged by this and want to quit (which she has), especially since the team she was on last season won every single game. Drew is really hard on herself and takes losing very personally. She is never rude to the winning team, but she is less than enthusiastic while she's high fiving and telling them "good game" after they have been slaughtered by the other team. Then today, after the other team scored a goal, Drew ran back to mid field to kick off; and she told the little girl (on the other team) "GOOD JOB on that goal". I was speechless and completely humbled and proud of my little girl's ability to recognize someone else's efforts (without being prompted by her mother) especially when it affected her chance to win. The other little girl then said to her, "Your team is doing a good job too". AHHHHHH......the sound of sportsmanship. I have preached (for lack of a better word) and preached good sportsmanship over and over again, not just to Drew but to all of my children. Sure it's nice to win, and sure it's okay to want to win; but life isn't about winning. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't. As long as you put forth your best effort and enjoy it, that really is what it's all about (that sounds so cliche, but I truly believe it). As long as you can be a big enough person to accept that you are going to lose from time to time and win from time to time, sportsmanship should come easy. Now I do want to say that Drew has always been a very gracious winner. She has never been boastful about winning, but losing.....that's been another story. However after today, I think she is finally getting it. Being a good sport is being a graceful winner and a graceful loser, and being proud of yourself and your team for doing your best. I will admit there have been times when I really wanted a win so badly that I thought I might come unglued.....University of Texas beating USC in the National Championship in 2006 is the one that comes to mind. NPayne, literally wept that night, and it was like floating in the clouds in our house. It was surreal....something we had been waiting and hoping for for a long time. I know winning is a better feeling than losing.....believe me I know. For my little competitive girl, who use to throw the game piece across the table and yell..."It's not about having fun, it's about winning" all the while storming off to another room, I'm glad to see that she can give someone else the respect and courtesy of being a graceful loser as well as a graceful winner (FINALLY).