My Third Grade son was so excited about his upcoming basketball tournament.  His first games of the season.  He spoke about his high expectations.  He made sure his jersey was ready.  He knew exactly what time to get to the gym.

Then came the game itself.  The opposing kids were a full head taller than any of our players.  Every shot bounced on the rim and fell the wrong way.  Each pass seemed to find its way eventually going the opposite direction.  Before we knew it, we were just praying for a basket.  Any basket.  Any point would be good.

When the buzzer sounded, the scoreboard reflected the sobering truth.

Final Score:  Us 0, Them 46

A loss that stung.  A loss that hurt.  A loss that took the wind out of the sails of both players and fans alike.

Worse, there were still more games to be played.  It would be hard to find a way to move on.

As a seasoned parent, I knew I had the job to comfort and encourage, but I also knew that I needed to take pictures.  That is what parents do.  That is also why I took this photo.

9-year-old Ben hustling up the court.

This photo showing my son still running hard.  Running hard in Game Two.  Running hard, even after a legendary blowout.  My son was still hustling.  Still trying hard.  Still giving it a go.  Needless to say, I was proud.

Proud of a son, who was sad, but still refused to quit.  Proud to see that he had dug deep.

They lost Game Two, as well.  They did however score a few points and even though it wasn’t close, it was a better experience.  As good of an experience, as a second straight loss can be.

So when life kicks you, when life kicks you really hard, look to that Third Grade basketball team.  You may end up losing Game Two, as well, but give it a go and try again.  Odds are that Game Two will at least be different and not nearly as bad.