Disappointment in Competition

All competitors will eventually know the pain of disappointment. You put everything into preparing for the game, the competition or tryouts.

Although you poured yourself into practice and preparation, in the end, the outcome did not match your expectations. Or perhaps an unexpected event outside of your control changed the course of the success you anticipated.

Your investment seems a waste, or perhaps you question why God would allow this defeat. Disappointment is normal; however, if we focus on ourselves, disappointment leads to frustration, discouragement and self-pity. These are all enemies to the competitor and to spiritual growth.

However, when we offer our disappointments up to God, He will use them for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). God wants us to rejoice in the midst of disappointment. How can we rejoice? Because we know God is using the disappointment to produce endurance.

We endure by trusting God, and though disappointed, we continue to show up to practice, execute each drill with a positive attitude and remain faithful to our coaches and teammates. God’s Word promises that endurance will eventually produce a hope that does not disappoint.