Is participation in a tournament, all about winning? Guess, not. Here are top reasons why one should participate in a tournament, even though one might not have any chance of winning the tournament.
- The journey is what matters most: One should participate in a tournament for the pure fun of going through the whole journey – all the training you put in, the anticipation and preparation of your game plan, putting in your best physical and mental effort, arranging for the right gear required for the event, shutting away all the other outside noise while you are participating, doing this one thing for your team or coach or parents, and so on. The journey itself is so much more valuable than the destination.
- You learn more from failure than from success: The greatest benefit of a tournament is what you learn from others – perhaps those who are better than you in their fitness, skill level, mental strength. You have an opportunity to observe what makes them successful and reflect on your own weaknesses. How do you overcome those weaknesses to be better next time.
- Accepting defeat is part of your growth story: In tournament, just as in life, it is not always possible to win every game you play. You will have to face defeat sooner or later, and learning to accept the defeat is what makes you successful in the next game. Coping with an outcome different from what you expect is a part of your life. People successful in life learn to accept the failure, learn from it and move on to create success in their next attempts.
- Discovering your own boundaries and trying to push them further: When you lose a tournament, you get to discover your shortcomings and what it takes to win against the competition. You get an opportunity to tune your training regime to make you even better than you are.
- Tournaments teach you life skills: Just as in sports, some of the life skills you acquire through tournaments are – time management, team spirit and coordination, creative thinking, focus and concentration, physical and mental fitness, accepting defeat, resource planning, etc..
All the best for your next tournament!
