The Match

Just so you know, I am a volleyball player. Actually, I WAS a volleyball player, Now I am just an unemployed youth with a large experience of volleyball. So, this incident dates back to 2012 when I was 15 years old and was selected to represent my zone in district U-19 tournament.
Being the junior most player of my team, besides doing all the training and practice, I was in charge of carrying water, cleaning the room, washing jerseys, handling kit,etc. I never complained because of two reasons, One, every player who is senior now, was once junior, and had to do every thing that I was doing that time. Second, I was just happy enough that I was selected for U-19 team despite being only 15 years old and was willing to do anything as long as I was in the team.
The tournament was scheduled for 7 days with 12 teams participating from different zones. There were 4 different courts for practice, and one can easily see other teams practicing, their techniques, strength, stamina, quality of players, even a hint of their strategy and mindset to tackle the opponents.
 Our coach was not a very fit man, with a belly just like a balloon filled with water hanging out under his chest and pretty old, but he had a vast experience in this game and his feedback and analysis was the key which made him the perfect coach. He would just sit there taking tea, while we would be running like dogs chasing one another around the court for 10 mins in medium pace when he would whistle and we would automatically change to post running stretch, again a whistle, and we would be carrying 15 kg weight from one side of court to another while jumping like a kangaroo. This would go for like 30 mins and all of us knowing what to do after every whistle. Apart from whistling, the coach's task was to hurl abuses to any one of us, without any reasons, just to have fun.
As a team, our bonding was very strong. There was competition in between, like any other team, but as team, as a force, as a group, we were very strong and stable. Just in case, you don't know about volleyball and its team formation, It is played between two teams in a court seperated by a net which is 2.48 meters high (2.42 m for girls). Each team has six players, and typically it is played for 5 sets, with 25 points in each set. The team which manages to win 3 or more sets out of 5 wins the match. A team consists of 12 players of which 6 are active in the court at any given time, and other 6 are for standby and replaces a player if situation arises. I was in the main 6 and and was a middle attacker. Basically, my job was to hit the ball to ground as soon as it was lifted by the setter over the net. And honestly, I was pretty good at it. Being a 15 year old, I was 175 cms high, broadly built, ability to jump and attack gave me the ability to hit the ball quick and with power. I was also in charge of blocking the attacks from the opponents coming from my area. Which, is the middle of the net. Besides there were other 4 attackers who were tasked to attack from different parts of net to other side as well as to lift the ball coming from other side. We were not the best team there, but if I would personally rank my team, I would put it at number 4. We were, as a team, enduring, patient, hard-working, fit, mentally and emotionally strong, experienced and seasoned.
The tournament started with our winning the first 4 matches conveniently and topped the league phase. Next was knock-out round which started on day 4 with quarter finals, ours was second match with the zone which was pretty average, we were able to win it without much effort. The next round was semi-finals which was scheduled on day 6 with the team, which was considered the favorites, had a huge fan base, and super skilled and experienced players. This was number 1 team, and everybody new it. We knew, if we win this match, we will win the finals. This was the finals for us. We were physically ready for it. But, mentally, as you all know, when the opponent is better than you, it is hard to be 100% confident. You can act like you are confident, but internally you know it. And the best thing was, we all knew it, and acknowledged it. We made our plans, as to how to tackle the opponents, we planned our attacks, our defenses, blocks, etc. But, the most important thing was to build confidence that we could do it. If your confidence is weak, no matter how hard you execute the plan, you will not succeed. In a team game however, your being confident is not enough, the whole team has to be confident, every single one of us. On the night of 5th, our coach started discussions and we discussed every aspect and technicality of our conduct during match. After that, the focus shifted to confidence and mental endurance. The coach told us that this time, the audience will not support you but them, which we already knew, every time you take a point, instead of cheers, you will get curse words, every time they will score, you hear applause. This must not take you down, this should further embolden you to be more aggressive, be more confident, be more sustaining. Everyone suggested their own way, how to respond to these mental barriers, which was pretty much the same as before. When my turn came to suggest something, since everything had already been told, I just said, "Do your best". That's it.
Next day, match started, and we lost the first set 25-13. You can imagine, a team, which did not lose a single match till now, defeated, that too by 12 points. That's humiliation. It seemed like we did not play at all. Not even the way we were playing till now. As soon as the match started, they started dropping bombs on our side, and before anybody could do anything, set was over. Everybody started pointing our other's mistakes, while proving how they were not to blame for this. Suddenly, the team which was solid as rock until now broken into pieces. Suddenly, the cohesion which was binding the whole team vanished. Suddenly, the team was no more a team. And I, silently witnessing all of this, understood, that's bad omen. I tried to intervene, but was stopped at once by the seniors, and never tried again, otherwise, I knew the consequences well. Next set started, this time again 25-13. We reached 13 because of the courtesy of opponents, or else we would have been at 25-8 or so. Same thing again, blaming others while not realizing their own mistakes. Third set was 25-15 and the game was over.
After all the formalities, we again assembled at our room. Coach was sitting silently on the chair, looking at all of us. Everybody sitting silently , unable to look at him face to face. It was like 12 guys assembled to mourn somebody. Coach broke the silence, and said the captain to explain. He said, It was my mistake, I could not manage the team well. And then one by one, everybody started admitting their mistakes. I learned one thing that day. No matter how hard you prepare yourselves, how much confident you are, whatever plan you have been following, if your execution is poor, all those things becomes trash. Your qualities, power, confidence, patience, skills should be there and visible when required, otherwise it is just trash.