Any parent with a child who participates in sports competitions will know how hard it is when their child loses a match or an important sports event. Often kids will feel dejected, angry and frustrated at their loss. So we can only imagine how these feelings are amplified when it’s a world championship that’s been lost.
A video has emerged of Dave Belisle, the manager of the Cumberland Americans, giving a post-game pep talk to his squad of sad Little Leaguers. We won’t spoil the speech for you, as the 3-minute clip is definitely worth the watch, but Belisle certainly ended his coaching career on a high.
In the talk, which you can see below, Belisle has nothing but praise for the youngsters, and reminds them of the pride they should feel for their accomplishments. And while the tears rolled down the cheeks of some of the players, Belisle also pointed out how that was the last game he’d be coaching, and that he would be “friends forever” with the team.
The speech went down well with all those who watched it. One person commented on the Little League Facebook page: “I don’t know who this coach is but as a former coach of several high school sports this is the kind of coach that our kids need that was one of the most phenomenal talks I have ever heard in my entire life.”
While another comment simply stated: “That coach right there is a builder of men!”
For any parent needing some inspiration on how to help their child with defeat, this is the one video that can help them see that there is still beauty to be had in losing. And in fact, the message is pretty pertinent to adults, too, when having to face defeat with grace.
