category that would be seen more than in volleyball. That out of the way, the reaction by some to treat the year as a disappointment or some kind of failure because we lost in the final four is troubling.

We cheer people who say things like, “We don’t believe in moral victories,” and “Anything less than a championship his unacceptable.” We cheer even louder when it’s the star player or a coach of a team we love.

There is an assumption that having that kind of attitude causes people to win more. I’m not sure it does. And I’m not sure it’s healthy. In fact, IMO, that kind of attitude partly explains why we seem to have more issues with depression today than in the past.

Can anyone who is old enough to have seen John McEnroe play imagine anyone caring more or trying harder than John? He was known for tirades against officials in tennis that resulted in point penalties against him. After a while it became widely believed that he did it in order to blunt the momentum of his opponent. Sort of like an unofficial timeout.

A few years ago I read that McEnroe had been a Yankees fan and he switched his allegiance to the Mets. His explanation was that he heard George Steinbrenner say the Yankees were an embarrassment because they lost in the World Series. McEnroe’s reaction was basically, “What??? 28 teams (or however many there were at the time), made up of the best professional baseball players in the world began the year all shooting to be World Series Champs. When viewed in that light, coming in second is extraordinary.” McEnroe said he looked back on some tournaments where he finished second with more pride than others that he won. Because he knew how much preparation and effort he gave.

And, when you think about it, Steinbrenner kept his “#1 or else” attitude all his life. Despite having superior money and other resources, the Yankees didn’t always win. I remember stretches where they were very mediocre. “Wanting it more” wasn’t always enough.

What kind of a world do live in if we tell ourselves that anything less than #1 is failure? We need to learn to enjoy the ride. And it’s okay to feel good about having given everything, played well and still lost.

I understand the idea that somebody who wants to win very badly is more likely to win than someone who doesn’t care. I also get that looking for ways to improve after losing is important if we want to get better.

But wanting it more and busting our tail to improve don’t guarantee future championships. McEnroe didn’t win every time. The Yankees have been great and they’ve been sub .500.

There are what? 330+ Division 1 Women’s Volleyball teams? They all started the season dreaming of playing on the court BYU played on last night. Probably some teams had bad attitudes and less than stellar effort. But I’d say it’s a safe bet that over 200 busted their collective tail, sacrificed and played with emotion and heart. When you have that reality and you get to the final four, that’s phenomenal. It isn’t debatable. And it isn’t close.