I’m a big soccer fan.  I played, I now coach and I try to catch games whenever I can.  Every four years, soccer fans like me are thrown into a month-long euphoric celebration, otherwise known as the World Cup.  To fully appreciate the United State’s participation, the Dormbuys crew closed the office yesterday morning and all headed out to a local eatery to enjoy watching our boys beat Slovenia and secure their place in the second round.

After a discouraging first half which found us on the losing end of a 2-0 score, the Red, White and Blue bounced back and tied the game at two in the second half.  Then, in the closing minutes we had a free kick which was served perfectly and finished into the back of the net by an onrushing US attacker.  3-2!!!  What a comeback!

Wait….what….a foul….on who….what’s going on….what foul…..who fouled who….no way….this thing can’t end in a tie…we won…crap….

So what now?  The United States team finds itself in the middle of the World Cup, one of the most famous tournaments in all of sports, still needing to win a game to advance - something that should have already been achieved without the mystery call of the African referee.  How do they rebound?  How would you?

I can only hope that the team is able to take all of the disappointment, anger, frustration and whatever other emotions they have to be feeling and use them to beat Algeria in their next game.  If they are able to do that, then the call will be irrelevant and they will move on in the tournament.

Easier said than done, I know.  These guys have trained four years for this moment, and a single sound of the referee’s whistle could send them home.  Four years of preparation and it could all disappear in a matter of seconds.  This is going to be the ultimate lesson in dealing with disappointment.

Like the US soccer team, we all face disappointment in our lives.  The real story will always be how we deal with it.  As you find yourself away from home and in the middle of your college experience, some of the things you used to rely on are no longer there.  You’re no longer going home to your parents after class, your childhood friends are spread out across the country and suddenly you have to figure a lot out for you.

My advice for you, and the guys representing the US in South Africa, is to keep your head up and keep fighting.  We can’t always control the disappointment we face, but it’s up to us to fight back and win in the game of life (and soccer).  So, don’t dwell on the disappointment - it happened, it’s not changing, it’s time to move on.  Good luck and keep fighting!

How do you deal with disappointments?  How should the US team react?  We’d love to hear your thoughts!