Success in life and business is difficult to achieve and often fleeting. It takes a lot of hard work and luck to reach our pinnacle, and just as much of both to sustain it. I was reminded of this in March when my oldest son, Isaac, competed for the third straight year in the Wisconsin Amateur Hockey Association (WAHA) state hockey tournament.
In March 2019, Isaac’s team won state for their division, something not many Janesville teams have done. He was ecstatic, his teammates were ecstatic, and the parents were ecstatic. Visions of dynasties danced in everyone’s heads. Isaac was only 9.
In March 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down, Isaac’s team was back at state, but this time he was playing with an almost entirely new group of kids and the team finished in fourth place.
This year, much of that championship team was reunited, but whether it was the tumult of playing a truncated season due to COVID or the fact that these kids are just 11 and 12, they couldn’t replicate their earlier success and finished in sixth place.
I remember telling Isaac after his team won state to enjoy the moment — really savor it — because it might never happen again. I don’t think he believed me then. Who thinks they’re going to peak at 9 years old?
All of this got me thinking about the lessons he and his teammates have taken away from the past three years of youth hockey experiences and how they can just as easily apply to us as professionals:
When we win, we win together. When we lose, we lose together. No one person on a team is ever solely responsible for wins and losses. Little things over the course of a game all add up to a victory or defeat, and every team member shares in that. Don’t play the blame game unless you’re willing to get blamed yourself.
You can only control yourself. It’s a team sport and in order to achieve success you need to work together, but you can’t force teammates to always do the right thing. Focus on yourself first and last. Did you do your job? Were you where you were supposed to be? Did you leave everything you had on the proverbial ice today? If so, then it’s time to trust your teammates to do the same.
You will lose. Even the most successful individuals and teams suffer losses. Some of them lose a lot. That’s OK. No single victory will guarantee success in the future, so don’t let any of the losses define you either. You can grow more from a loss than a win if you’re open to learning the lessons failure can teach you.
Winning is hard. Only one team can win a championship each season, and for most teams trying to replicate that success the next year proves impossible. You should never want to settle for less than competing for the top prize, but understand that success means different things, at different times, to different people. Don’t just be content to rest on your laurels, but also don’t ever forget to savor your successes.
Always be willing to listen. Why do you think athletes go back to the bench or sideline and immediately look at replays or talk to teammates and coaches about what just happened? Maybe you can’t change the past, but you can absolutely make adjustments for the future if you’re willing to listen and learn from what other people are seeing. Remember, it’s a team sport, so make use of your team to see where you can get better.
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