By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer
Editor’s Note: Some responses have been edited for clarity.
The Peak asked members of SFU’s women’s volleyball team and men’s soccer team to share their thoughts on the highs and lows of games, and how their outcomes impact both individual and team mindsets.
Q: What impact does a loss have on your team’s confidence, and how do you and your teammates learn from this and go into the next game more prepared?
A: It’s definitely a challenge not to let a loss have an impact on our team’s confidence. The rule on our team is we can all take one full day to be upset, but after 24 hours, we have to move forward together. We discuss together with our coaches what went wrong and what we will do differently next time, and this helps us start preparing for our next game.
— Brooke Dexter, women’s volleyball
A: A loss can have a positive impact but also a negative impact on individuals, and as a collective. Personally, I tend to use losses as fuel for the next game because it is something that I want to prevent from happening in a game. For preparation, we’re always ready for our opponents. Our coaching staff does a great job at having us mentally and physically ready for every match.
— Devin O’Hea, men’s soccer
Q: How frustrating is it when things don’t go as planned and you still want to turn things around for future games?
A: It’s incredibly frustrating when things don’t go to plan, but it happens every year. Things are always going to happen that are out of our control — injuries, the way our opponents play. The best thing we can do is stay patient and keep working hard. At this point in the season, it’s absolutely vital that we channel our frustration into training harder rather than burning out. Our conference is always competitive, but this year is especially unpredictable. Every team is strong and wants a win, so we have to make sure we’re working harder than everyone else, both in practice and in games.
— Brooke Dexter, women’s volleyball
A: It can be extremely frustrating but once a plan comes together, it’s worth all the hard work.
— Devin O’Hea, men’s soccer
Q: Does losing a game you should’ve won take away from the team’s accomplishments?
A: No, losing a game we should have won does not take away from the team’s accomplishments. One loss does not make a season. In the conference we are in, we have many strong teams and we know that the game can go either way. We have to show up the most prepared and ready as we can possibly be every single game, no matter who we play. We can have a good or bad day, but any loss does not take away from our accomplishments. We learn and become stronger over obstacles we face, including losses.
— Jocelyn Sherman, women’s volleyball
A: I wouldn’t say it takes away from our goals, but it does sting knowing that a game you thought you should’ve won doesn’t go your way. But, that’s sports sometimes.
— Devin O’Hea, men’s soccer
Q: In what ways do you feel the team could better prepare for games after a loss?
A: Every person handles a loss differently. As a team, it’s important to acknowledge our losses, examine them, discuss them, and most importantly, learn from them to change things as quickly as possible for the next game.
— Jocelyn Sherman, women’s volleyball
A: Don’t dwell on the past too much. Most importantly, use a loss as fuel to better prepare to stay mentally and physically focused on the next opponent, so you can do everything in your power to win the next one.
— Devin O’Hea, men’s soccer
