Disappointment vs. Regret | News magazine

When it comes to sports, there’s a difference between disappointment and regret.

No matter what sport you play and no matter how great an athlete you are, disappointment is inevitable at some point in your athletic endeavors.

You can be beaten by someone or another team. You won’t reach your goal. At some point, someone better than you is bound to appear on your path to the top of the sport.

Sure, there’s a chance you’ll win it all and hoist that championship trophy, but when you realize that only one team, only one runner, only one swimmer, or only one wrestler will be vying for the title of “best.” at the end of the season you know that the possibility of being disappointed that you are not “the one” is greater than if you were standing at the top of any podium.

Disappointment is something that any athlete can understand and experience.

On the other hand, regret is something that will haunt an athlete long after their career comes to an end.

Regret happens when you realize that you didn’t do everything in your power to achieve a goal.
your goal.

Did you give 110% in every training session? Did you give it everything you had in every game, race or match? Did you leave it all in the arena? Did you play on a team? Have you taken the time outside of training to improve your throw, serve, hit, set, launch, swing, tempo, kicking, technique, strength and endurance? Have you done everything in your power to become the best?

If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, seeds of regret will be planted, and if the answer is “no” to more than one of these questions, those seeds will be watered, nurtured, and grow stronger and stronger.

The Newcastle High School Dawgs football team and Lady Dawgs volleyball team suffered disappointing endings to their seasons over the weekend. Neither team wanted to go home and hang up their uniforms for the year. Both wanted to play one or two more weekends.

However, neither team should hang their heads and regret how they played in the last matches of the year.

Football had an outstanding season, losing only to 3A Buffalo, the #1 ranked Big Horn Rams, a fluke Week 0 loss to Thermopolis, and a first round playoff game against the #4 ranked Cokeville Panthers (who boast the best tradition in state).

The only conference loss on this slate of regular season games was against Big Horn, so going into Friday’s game against Cokeville the team was feeling very confident and it showed. Both teams were evenly matched and both played hard. Things didn’t go the way the Dogs wanted. However, the Dogs played a great game and should only feel disappointment that they couldn’t finish the job rather than regrets of “if only we had done it.”

The same goes for the Dog Lady. Although the team was one match short of earning a berth at the state tournament, they played some of their best volleyball of the season on Friday and Saturday at the regional tournament. And they did it while facing the adversity of losing their starter for a game and a half and losing their libero for the same amount of time. They had to adapt and figure things out on the fly, and they did. They gave Torrington and Rawlins a real run for their money and beat Burns comfortably after losing to them in the regular season.

The fact that neither the boys nor the girls continued their playing career after the end of the season was indeed disappointing, but it was not a regret. Both teams could hold their heads high as they retired for the last time this season.

They also finished the season with every expectation of success next year and I am confident that they will work hard this off-season to try and achieve the goals they have set for themselves. Fortunately, it is not regret that will motivate them to achieve these goals.