The Thing About State 2020 :(

PaHeru: I ate breakfast and went to competition. I had some pretty good scores. At the end of the events was the award ceremony. I was getting 2nd,3rd, 4th, and 7th place. Overall, I got 3rd place. I was upset because of the places I got. So I started crying. But my friend Asaph cheered me up by saying, "Paheru it's ok. You still did good."

Mom's Perspective: The photo above was after PaHeru cried for about 30 minutes after the official Awards Ceremony.  He did not make the 2020-2021 USAG North Carolina Men's Elite Team like he had aspired to nor had he placed 1st in his age group.  Both were his personal goals.  As a mom, I was present to support him and cheer him and his teammates on.  I did not try to force him to smile.  Some parents would but I chose not to.  He is a true athlete and he takes his sports trajectory very seriously- I never want to dishonor or minimize that. After the photos were taken, we went on to cheer on his Division 2 teammates who competed after him.  On the ride home, we talked about the entire experience of the weekend- his teammates's birthday celebration, the great movies in the hotel room and the endless free hot cocoa in the hotel lobby. Only after we got some food did I ask him, "What can you do moving forward to make your goals next year?" This conversation lasted about 20 minutes and for the rest of the ride home, we listened to our favorite songs- which were alot; it was a 3.5 hour drive from Hickory to Fayetteville. 

I don't judge anyone's parenting when it comes to being a sports parent- it's a challenging position for anyone who devotes at least 50% of their time supporting a child who is in a competitive sport.  I My goal is to always be supportive of his ENTIRE EXPERIENCE and also highlight for him what he might easily overlook when his mind is only focused on 1 area of a competition.

As an athlete, how do you deal with disappointment?  We'd love to hear from you. 

PaHeru Nubia-Ra Athletics. Setting Goals. Getting Fit. Staying Positive.