Off Sidel: Keep your cool – no matter what

I’ve seen players score big goals, make big hits, knock the ball out of the park, drain a last-second three-pointer, shave a second off a record lap time, and even a spectacular gymnastics performance or two along the way.

I’ve also seen players miss an easy empty-netter, foul out of the game, ground out to the pitcher and coaches and parents inappropriately lose their heads over incidents both minor and major.

I’ve also been to championships with my own teams and won as the underdog, and been knocked out of the playoffs early despite being the favourite.

What I’ve prided myself on and preached time and time and time again in this column over the last few years, however, is keeping my cool no matter what.

You’re supposed to celebrate the highs and fight through the lows – not lose your temper.

This past week I made a mistake that will probably weigh on my shoulders for a long time.

It might not seem like a big deal, but after grounding out to the pitcher in a softball playoff game, I lost my temper and introduced my fist to a rubber garbage can next to our bench.

I was upset because I wanted to make an impact and the plate and help my team, but instead I got out.

Losing my cool, however, almost seriously hurt both myself and my team.

The can, you see, was not quite as soft as it looked and I’m currently typing this column with a bruised knuckle on my right index finger. It’s nothing serious, but hitting the garbage can was seriously stupid.

As the starting right-centre fielder and cleanup hitter, had I injured my hand more seriously, my team would’ve lost my bat, my glove and my positive attitude on the field.

That’s not to say I’m the best player on the team, but everyone brings their own piece to the action and it’s not fair to hurt your team this late in year.

What really is weighing on my conscious this morning is the selfishness of my move towards my teammates and my father, uncle and friend, who were sitting in the stands when it happened.

In the end I was lucky – I apologized to everyone for over-reacting and I wasn’t hurt badly.

But there’s a lesson to be learned here: Play hard, but know that win or lose, it really is how you play that game that’s important.

I’m not the first and I’m certainly not the last to pull a brain-cramp move like punching out a garbage can, but you can be sure it’s the last time I’ll ever do something like that.