When it’s all about winning

"ONE where our desire to win is second only to our love of the game itself."

This passage in a prayer has been inculcated in the minds of both alumni and trainees who entered the portals of a respectable institute.

It can be interpreted that your love for the game is above that of winning or it can be made an excuse whenever you lose in a competition.

This runs counter to a personal philosophy of winning as the end goal every time I play a game. This was pointed to me by a classmate which stuck in my mind being the in-charge of our unit when we were studying/training as I emphasized to the members that every time we step into the competition area, our mindset must be that of winning. And that is how I thought about that passage in the prayer and my philosophy, up until this season of the BaguioBenguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL).

It dawned on me after the BBEAL season that my game philosophy is not counter to that passage in the prayer albeit they reinforce one another.

If you continue with the prayer, it says "where we triumph as considerate victors or lose with grace and determined will to win". The prayer was never intended to be an excuse for losing but rather on how you act as victor or loser alike and more importantly, it should not only be about winning but rather on how you love the game you are playing.

It was all about playing your hearts out every time you compete in order to have a chance at winning. It was about effort and giving everything during the game so that you will not be haunted with the “what if’s” when everything has been said and done.

For some, it’s all about winning no matter what. When you have the power to make decisions for the tournament and use it to your team’s advantage, to the point of bending rules, is a desperation of trying to empress bosses to regain stature in the league.

Sports has all the innate values enough to hone everyone to become ladies and gentlemen in the real world but because of hidden agendas and intentions of people, it becomes a sanctuary of bullying and deception that destroys not only the image of sports but the potential of athletes.