Sports are not just about winning or the medal or the ring or the trophy. It’s more about being able compete and having the privilege to compete. Whether it’s against the best athletes in the world, from every country and every walk of life, or just with your friends, the experience will be with you forever. It might not mean anything now or right after it’s over, but years from now you will see just how amazing those moments truly were. And it’s not just all about you, your country or your team either, it's about the fans too, whether it be just one or millions of fans, the joy you bring them, whether in defeat or triumph, will help them renew their hopes and dreams and their belief in the human spirit. So enjoy yourself, because a lot of people never get the chance to play sports at any level. All your hard work and dedication should never go unnoticed to you or anyone. Losing a competition doesn’t take away from what a great athlete you are or your accomplishments, it just means that someone else was just a little bit better or luckier then you were on that particular day. Plus, you always learn more from a loss then you would in a win, and just how much you benefit from that is really up to you. Vince Lombardi once said: "Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything." Though winning is a great benefit, it should never be a fulfillment of all your dreams, because if it is, that’s all you will ever have and there is just too much more to life then just a win, but, It's really hard to deny the thrill of competition, you just can't beat it, unless you experience the thrill of victory too, because that is just a one great feeling to enjoy.

Play on. Joga Bonito, which means "play beautiful".

"Sometimes the best don't always win, but the athlete knows
that being the best away from the sport means you never lose"