You Win Some, You Lose Some

Tale of the Tape - You Win Some, You Lose Some
by Alyson Gramley, ATC adgramley@troy.edu
Friday, December 31, 2010 - 7:00pm

To begin...Alyson's Year in Review...a few pictures of my adventures in 2010 (because I couldn't figure out how to get them at the bottom):

I missed wishing you all a Merry Christmas, so without further ado...Merry Christmas! The basketball team played in a tournament in Utah right before the holiday. Then I was fortunate enough to spend 4 days with my family in a familiar place (we lived in Utah 24 years ago) doing some skiing and reconnecting as a family. It was the best Christmas experience...no presents, just laughter and lots of love! The perfect way to remember 2010.

And so now, as 2010 is winding down, many of you are sitting around their fireplaces, tables, kitchen bars with family and friends, good food and drinks, reminiscing the past year(s) and vowing to do something new and different in the coming one.

I...am at basketball practice. I am, however, an athletic trainer and that's what we do...watch practice. I have even had the joy of watching two today! Don't interpret that I'm complaining. I'm only stating the facts. When school isn't in session, we can practice as much -or as little- as we'd like. This morning was a typical, run/shoot/defense/offense kind of practice and tonight is more like a birthday present for Ben Fletcher...shooting drills and such! I guess if anyone would rather be somewhere else more, he would be the winner.

Some of you may look at our win-loss record and automatically assume I meant "games" in the "some" of the title this time. If that were the case, I could have probably said "You win a couple and lose the rest." But that's not at all where I was going with this one.

At this time of the year, people are looking back at the wins and losses in their personal lives for 2010. I am no different. I've won and lost this year on many platforms, on and off the court. I've accompanied the Trojans to 23 wins and 13 losses. I've won three rings and lost one. I've been there as a handful of athletes have lost a season to injury and have accompanied another handful to stepping back into the Trojan uniform after considerable length of time lost to injury.

I have witnessed things this year I have never seen: the grassy knoll where a president was assassinated, hip surgery, tib/fib fracture (which most of you probably saw as well because it was on national TV), and others that slip my mind at the moment. I do know that I have evaluated and treated more injuries in the short basketball season thus far in 2010 than I have in my seven years combined! And that's the truth!!

I'll repeat something I've said before and believe wholeheartedly--winning is the easy part of all of this, it's the losing that's hard. Winning comes to those that work hard, give 110%, 24-7 and losing is the result of the 5 P's, or apathetic individuals only working at half-speed.

That's what they tell us, anyway...well one of my mentors told me something one time that resonates in my mind: "They say" is a liar!

I can guarantee that I have never been a part of a team that doesn't want to win every game. But guess what...the other team does, too. That's why they schedule them and make us play them.

So when you're "armchair quarterbacking" or "coaching from the sofa" or posting on message boards about negative things (or worse...not even caring...) because your team isn't a National Champion every year, remember those that are actually getting dressed up for every game and sitting on the bench or pacing the sideline. You think it's hard for those bystanders to see their team lose as the score scrolls across the ticker, you should see the faces of these young men and women in the locker rooms across the nation when they've done everything they can to win...and still came up short.

Another adage I repeat often: sometimes your best isn't good enough.

I guess that took a different tone than originally intended, but maybe I'm trying to ease into 2011 with a clean conscience, too.

As this year comes to an end, I am reminded continuously that I am most thankful for my job...a job I love, for my family....as dysfunctional as it may seem at times, and my health. I have seen some beautiful sights in the past year and hope to continue to do so into the new year. I have some resolutions for 2011, as I always do. Some are repeats and some are new to the list this year.

I'll be wrapping up shortly and headed home to enjoy a marathon of Toy Story, House, and pizza with a tween! I couldn't imagine a better way to start the new year...

Go Trojans!

Alyson