IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED ... Dealing with Losing and Failure

Edited by Andy Gillentine
Illustrated by Ted Watts
1st edition, 2011, 120 pages, $10.95
ISBN 978-0-89641-498-3

If at First You Don't Succeed ... Dealing with Losing and Failure offers the insights and thoughts from a variety of sources, including many of history’s most famous individuals, in hopes that they may provide a vehicle for dealing with losing and failure.

Andy Gillentine has been involved in competitive athletics as a participant, coach, athletic director, and educator for over 40 years. During that time he has observed numerous people (athletes, coaches, fans, parents) struggle with losing and failure.

While we often extol the value of winning we often avoid the topic of losing. Yet losing is a major component of any form of competition. An all too common response to dealing with losing and failure is to tell participants to “shake it off,” but we rarely take the time to instruct people how to accomplish these goals. The result of our failure to help others cope with losing and failure is all too often individuals becoming afraid to continue competing or trying. Internationally respected leadership expert, speaker, and author John C. Maxwell stated “…realize that there is one major difference between average and achieving people…their perception and response to failure.” It is important that we use any resource available to help others overcome the failures they will encounter in life so that they will always strive to accomplish everything they can.

Contents

Chapter 1 — You are Not Alone

Chapter 2 — Offer No Excuses

Chapter 3 — Don't Be Afraid

Chapter 4 — Don' Quit

Chapter 5 — Get Back in the Saddle

Chapter 6 — Always Learn from Your Failures

Chapter 7 — Laugh It Off

Appendix
About the Author
About the Artist
Author Index

About the Author ...

Andy Gillentine is a Professor and Chair of the Sport and Entertainment Management program at the University of South Carolina. Additionally, he served as an athletic director and coach for over 15 years and is nationally recognized for his expertise in sport management curriculum and program development. In 2009, he received the Sport Management Outstanding Achievement Award from the National Association of Sport and Physical Education. Dr. Gillentine has conducted research projects for numerous sport organizations that have resulted in over fifty publications and over 100 national and international presentations. In 2007 he was appointed as a Research Fellow of the Research Consortium of the AAHPERD. His textbook, Foundations of Sport Management, co-edited with Brian Crow, is in its second edition and is widely used in Sport Management Programs throughout the country.

About the Artist ...

Ted Watts is an American artist who specializes in sports-themed display paintings, illustrations and murals.He is nationally known for his series of seventy-five art portraits entitled “The Heisman Trophy Winners Art Gallery” on display in the College Football Hall of Fame, South Bend, Indiana.

His work can be found in the College Football Hall of Fame, South Bend, Indiana; Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio; Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York; Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, Massachusetts; and USA Wrestling Hall of Fame, Stillwater, Oklahoma. Fifteen colleges and universities exhibit permanent collections of his paintings. Replicas of Watts' most noteworthy art are permanently archived by the Kansas Collection in Leonard H. Axe Library on the campus of Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.

More information about Ted Watts and examples of his work may be found on his web site: www.tedwatts.org.