It’s Monday morning and you are ready for the final match of the week. You look back at the previous week and are amazed. What a ride it’s been…
Your first match
You start off slowly feeling out your opponent. You try a run and gun style of play only to go down 0-5 early in the first game. You reassess your game plan and adapt to your opponent. Slowly you dig yourself out of the hole and win the game 15-10. Now that you have figured him out you take control. You go up 13-2 in the second game before you get hit with his racket. You realize you have a limited time to finish things off before the pain sets in and the swelling starts. You dig deeply and push through to win the match. Two vicious serves and the match is yours.
And you have learned your lesson: don’t try and beat your opponent at his own game.
The next match
The next match isn’t as easy. The kid is half you age and is good. Your only hope is to play smarter and keep him moving. You go in with a game plan and start to execute. Keep the kid off balance. Change the pace. Make him move and keep the ball out of center court. Slow it down and make more defensive shots. Give him shots that are tempting but hard to hit. Let him make mistakes.
You win the game pretty easily. The kid keeps playing into your game and makes your job easy.
Game two is much harder as he adapts to your style of play. He takes an early lead and you can never quite get back into the game.
Now comes the tiebreaker. This is an epic battle-youth against wisdom! This kid gets to everything. Every point comes hard, but you start to assert your game plan and take control. It is hard, but you eventually prevail.
Quarterfinals
Now on to the quarterfinals. This time it is the opposite side of the age spectrum. Your opponent is 30 years your senior. He has been playing since before you were born. He has seen every trick in the book, and invented a few of them himself! This time your game plan is more like a blitzkrieg than a chess match. Hard and aggressive serves. Fast pace. Make him move and don’t give him time.
The first game is quick and easy. He tires easily and you start to ace him on your serve. He no longer gets to your shots, but nothing gets past you with your speed and agility.
The second game is harder. He doesn’t go down easy. Remember, he’s been doing this as long as you’ve been alive! This time wisdom isn’t enough to overcome youth and vigor. You win the match and move on.
Semifinals
Up until now you have been better than your opponent. This time it is different. He goes up early in the first game and puts you back onto your heals. You dig deep and stagger back. You are good at serving and start to pound him. Slowly you start to build momentum. You lose, but it wasn’t a blow out. He is dripping with sweat and exhausted. You are energized and take momentum into the second game.
Suddenly he starts playing like a different person. The shots he missed last game start hitting. He takes control and easily wins the match. He goes on to the finals. You go play for third place.
Back to Monday morning
It’s Monday morning and you are ready for the final match of the week. You have spent six days playing the best in the nation. You have been tested. You have been hit with rackets (and hit someone as well). Your body is worn and bruised but not beaten. You are focused, have a solid game plan, and are ready. Now is the time to execute.
Only your opponent doesn’t show up for the game. You win by default. You tell yourself that a win is a win, but it just doesn’t feel the same. There isn’t the rush of emotion that comes with a hard fought victory. It will always be in the back of your mind as you wonder how the game would have turned out. You feel deflated. Then you reflect on what you have achieved and learned. You look at the friends you have made. You remember the joy on your son’s face when he played the best game of his life. You remember the hurt when he lost a match he should have won.
Wow, what a week!
Last week I was honored to be able to play in US Racquetball Association’s National Singles Championship. I had a lot of fun meeting and playing with the best in the nation. Watching them in action was amazing, especially the players in better divisions.
All in all I am:

• Proud of my accomplishment. Last year I didn’t belong and it was apparent. This year I took third place.
• Exhausted. A week of racquetball is exhausting. The competition is so much higher at nationals and it requires you to play at an elevated level.
• In pain…Everywhere. It is easier to list the parts that don’t hurt. Everything from aching knees to sore hips to a bruised and swollen arm (a direct hit with a racket) to a tight back.
• Ready to get focused on work, my website, and my blog.

What did I learn?
One of my primary beliefs is that we should take time to savor our experiences and to learn the lessons that life is trying to teach us. Usually you can apply the lessons to most areas of you life.

• Learn from past mistakes: Last month I played in the Regional Qualifier (7 Ways Losers Win). While my skills had improved from last year my performance was less than satisfactory. One thing I did right was learn from the experience. This helped me win third in nationals which was a major achievement.
• Dig deep if you want to win: Often the winner is the last man able to stand. When I was in my second round match I was playing someone half my age. I had to dig deep into my reserves to pull off a victory. I was absolutely determined to win in spite of exhaustion, aches, and pains.This isn’t always a physical effort. Sometimes you need to dig deep emotionally to get yourself back into the game. Again, the determination to win is a key factor in success.
• Have a game plan: Having a game plan is critical if you want to win. Every win I had was based on having a plan and executing. I may have to adapt but that is part of my plan.My son learned this lesson as well. He was up against a national champion (juniors 14 and under) who’s parents were top ranked players. She had a professional coach. She had already beat a couple of his friends. We watched her play and evaluated her strengths and weaknesses. Based on this we came up with a game plan. In game one he just played his normal game…and lost. Then he got smart and executed his strategy. It was an amazing match to watch, and in the end he won.
• Take it one point at a time: Each and every point is a new challenge. Set aside the last shot and execute right now. 15 individual victories and you win the game. Win two games and you win the match. It doesn’t matter how many missed shots or lost points you experience as long as you win two out of three games!This applies to life as well. A successful life is a string of successful years. A successful year is a string of successful days. One bad day won’t ruin your life. Accept it, learn from it, and move on.
• Pause to enjoy the victory: Win the match? Sit back and relish it. Make a great shot? Let your exuberance show!This can also be other people’s victories. Several friends and my son were playing in the tournament as well. We cheered each other on every step of the way. It builds friendships. You give each other moral support. It makes the experience more fun. Their achievements mean almost as much to me as my own.
• Attitude: A good attitude always pays off. It helps keep you focused and executing your game plan. It gives you the determination to win in spite of setbacks. It shows good sportsmanship.This is another lesson my son learned. His biggest weakness is losing his mental focus and letting his opponent take his head out of the game. During is match with the 14 and under national champion, he kept his head in the game. Even though he lost the first game, he stayed focused. This allowed him to concentrate on executing his strategy. This allowed him to win the match.
• Learn from both your successes and failures: We often forget to learn from our wins. We get carried away on the emotional high and don’t take the time. Also, it is often easier to learn from losses. It gives your loss meaning and helps ease the pain.As well as I did, I still have a long way to go. I know where my game needs improvement. I will make steady progress throughout the year. I have several things to learn that will take my game to the next level. Next year I will test my skills and see how far I have improved.
• It isn’t all about winning: I enjoy winning but it isn’t why I play. I like meeting new people and making new friends. I like testing myself and having a way to measure my improvement.