I HATE Losing

Losing, a six letter word that can make you feel like sh#t.

I don't care if its ping pong, basketball, IM sports at college, or watching the Dolphins lose it sucks. I feel like everytime I lose at something or my team loses I die a little bit on the inside.

I am a Senior at UCF and while I have another year here I just lost in the quarterfinals of the intramural playoffs. I was the team captain and led our team to a 7-0 record. Last night we played man down the entire game (one of our players couldn't make the game because his sister got in a car accident) pouring everything we had out on the court and came out victorious 4-3. Tonight we played one of the more athletic fraternities on campus, they had 12 guys and we had 7 guys. You can have 5 players plus a goalie on the field, so we had 1 sub and they had 6 additional subs.

We take an early lead and go up 2-0 at the end of the first period. Next period they score one and the score is 2-1. Shortly there after they have a fast break and the puck goes to the corner a man chasing the puck down fast, playing defense I get to the puck first and use my back to sheild the defender away. The ref far down the field calls a pently on me, saying I bumped into the guy when clearly he ran into me. Being a defender that has had 2 penalties in 7 perious game I am upset. I go to the box and they score shortly thereafter making it 2-2. The second period ends.

Third period starts, their additional subs begins to be a factor as they are beating us to loose pucks and are driving more on us. We play good positional defense and shut them down. We then get a steal set up a fast break and score to go up 3-2 with 9 minutes to go in the 3rd period. Time is going slow off the clock, but we are clearing the puck and playing solid defense. At the five minute mark their guy takes to put to the outside zone he just chucks the puck towards the center of the court. I see the puck coming and put my stick down to block it, yet it somehow bounces over or around my stick. I turn around and watch the puck bounce slowly over the next defenders stick. Then to my amazement watch it go around a third defenders stick right to their man just chilling in front of the net. He one touches it into the back of the net. What are the freaking chances.

Tied 3-3 with 4 minutes to go we are dragging, the previous nights game is taking its toll on us. There is no way you can play man down an entire game win it and then be back to 100% the next day. This plus the other teams additional subs is swinging the momentium; not to mention the 25 guys and girls watching upstairs screaming for their team. With all this working against us we keep the game tied until the end of the game.

It's our teams first overtime game ever, we are told there will be two 10 minute periods and its golden goal. After the two 10 minute periods there will be a shootout. We are playing them well, they are getting more fast breaks but everytime we are able to break down defensively and force them outside negating their fast breaks. This strategy is working and we keeping taking the puck and feeding one of our snipers up top. This guy has the best shot I have ever seen and I have been playing floor hockey 4 years at UCF. He had two or three chances that he either missed by inches or their goalie was able to barely snag. Their goalie was probably the best goalie I have seen all year.

Its back and forth and back and forth until the 4 minute mark. I am defending one of their attackman and he pushes the puck past me. I decide to man him up and try to box him away from the puck, by making him go around my body. He puts his stick in between my legs, I try to back up to get untangled with him the entire time I have my one hand up showing the ref I am not holding the kid up. He decides he wants to try to run through me, there is nothing I can do since his stick is in-between my legs. I am backing up and trying to disengage, but the ref on the far side calls me for holding. The thing that upsets me most is I could have just fell like a soccer player and drawn the tripping penalty, but its called on me. Its my second penalty of the game so its a major and I have to stay in the box for 5 minutes.

Our team shuts them down for 2 additional minutes, before their player gets a three minute penalty. My is released at 9:30 the next period and theirs is released at 9:00 the next period. Both teams control the puck taking a few shots here and there, overall the first overtime period closes out.

The first 30 seconds in the second overtime fly by, I go back in for a man up for 30 seconds. I steal the puck and feed it to our sniper up court. He makes a move on the defender and gets an open shot, I think its over. Their goalie makes a rediculous save. Their fresh legs are continuing to wear us down as they gradually start to get more and more chances on us. Our goalie is playing amazing.

4 minutes to go. I am thinking its going to a shootout where we should have the advantage. We are all tired, but we have better shots then them and both goalies are insanly good. Advantage us.

They get the puck and pull it to the outside, their man makes a move and rips a shot. I believe our goalie was sheilded from seeing the shot, but it somehow goes in. Game over.

We were the better team and lose. I just don't even know what to think. I freaking hate losing it makes me sick to my stomach. I am so upset because I know if we beat this team we would have won the championship.

I guess I just needed to vent, I take every single loss personal and each and everyone kills me. Its one thing to loss to a better team or be outplayed, but when neither of those things happen and you lose it just sucks. At the same time this hockey game was the most competitive I have every played in. It was Goliath vs. Goliath, back and forth all game. It just sucks.

For those wondering, yes I take every loss this hard. When the Dolphins lose I am a different person for a good two days. When we lost to the Jets this year I blew up on my roommate because he was making fun of me. Yes, I know they are "just games", but honestly I feel like I am most alive when I am in the pit of a fight. When there is everything to gain and everything to lose. I hustle my *** off every play and there is not a single place I would rather be than when I am playing an intense game or watching an intense Dolphin game. Sports bring out the most in people, you see who the person truly is.

When I die and go to heaven. I hope I get to wake up everyday and get to play an intense cut-throat game every single day, whether its football, hockey, soccer, you name it I don't care. Losing just sucks, it is my biggest fear, my biggest motivator; I hate it and take it personal every single time I lose at anything.

/. end rant.