How to Handle an Upset

First, I just want to say that I am SO sorry about posting this a day late! I had a lot on my plate with track and finals, but I am also glad that I waited because I was able to see the huge upset between the Lakers and the Thunder last night. For those of you who missed it, Oklahoma City won with a score of 119-90 in the first game of the series. Everyone already knew this was going to be a tense game because the last time the two teams played, Ron Artest (otherwise known as "Metta World Peace") knocked out James Hardin with a vicious elbow to the back of the head that left him with a concussion.

There are, however,  a lot of lessons that can be learned from this game. The most important lesson being how to deal with an upset. It's something that a lot of teams face no matter what sport you're playing, and everybody handles the situation differently. Here are some tips on how to deal with an upset with good sportsmanship:

Keep Playing Your Hardest

No matter what happens in the game that you are playing, you should keep playing your hardest. A lot of players tend to give up when things start to go south. They feel as though it is worthless to waste their energy on the rest of the game that they know they are going to lose. This can cause a bad dynamic within the team.You owe it to yourself and your teammates to continue on and hope for that win. 

Don't Abandon Your Team

This is in tandem with the previous tip, but it goes a step further. Some players don't just give up, they completely walk out on their team. World Peace did this at one point during last night's game and I just had to shake my head. When you sign up to be a part of a team, you are a part of that team no matter what and you should always be there for him. I understand that he has anger issues, but he should have just sat himself on the bench and still showed a little support for the team.

Congratulate Your Opponents
This one is a little tricky. We have all been pushed to the point where we do not want to shake hands after a bad loss. But this move really shows maturity and class. It may not be the best feeling in the world, but giving the other team the cold shoulder won't make you feel any better either.

Don't Sweat It

This is the most important piece of advice. I was once on a club volleyball team that had a season of 2-35. My dad would always tell me that "when you look back on these moments as an adult, you will hardly even remember how angry you were after this game." Even if it's an important game like the playoff game between the Lakers and the Thunder, there is nothing else you can do except to get over it and move on to the next game with a fresh start and a new attitude. 

How do you handle a bad loss? What is the biggest upset that you can remember in sports history? Let us know! And don't forget to visit our website www.leaguehound.com!