Not so silent E - Losing doesn't build character, it reveals it.

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Published on Friday, February 20, 2015

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Banner

Losing sucks…I know that’s not exactly a Woodward and Bernstein type news exclusive I’m starting this column with here. I may as well throw in some other obvious statements such as water is wet and puppies are adorable, but stick with me on this. While there are exceptions to every rule, for the most part, losing is not something we as a species often enjoy. It’s even harder to deal with when you know the person, or in this case, team deserved better.

The Neepawa Natives are not making the MJHL playoffs this season. The club finds itself watching post season play for the fifth straight year, as Waywayseecappo and OCN garnered some timely and honestly unexpected wins against better teams in January. Those victories were the catalyst for their run to the best of three survivor series play in round. Until late last week, it was still mathematically possible for the Natives to advance to the post season…But realistically here, I think we all knew already that it was not in the cards.

Despite the way I’ve started this article, I have not come to bury the Neepawa Natives, but rather to praise them, because this has been a franchise that has faced the type of adversity very few would be able to bounce back from.  

Before this season even began, the future of the community-owned team was very much in doubt. Board members and volunteers were putting in long hours to run the day-to-day operations, as well as putting in their own cash to keep the team afloat. The “Survive or Thrive” community awareness night held in April was a call to action and thankfully, Neepawa and the surrounding region responded. 

The Natives entered the regular season with hope and an expectation that this could be the year where they take that next step to respectability. Their play in September and October showed that hope was realistic, as the team was 6-10-1. 

While they were not rewriting the record book, as the Portage Terriers have been this season, the Natives were still playing well. In fact, several of those early defeats could have been wins if not for an unfortunate bounce or momentary lapse here and there. Regardless, Neepawa seemed to be moving in the right direction.

Unfortunately, a hectic playing schedule in late November took its toll on the team. As many as a half dozen core players were out of the lineup for an extended amount of time. That’s when the season fell apart as the Neepawa Natives went one-for-December. Despite the abysmal end to 2014, this club was still within reach of the final playoff spot.

That cautious optimism entering 2015 has slowly melted away, but not because of any lack of effort. The Natives were playing better, but it was not generating the desired effect. 

Having watched about 40 of their games this season, I can say, for the most part, this year has featured a team that night in and night out, genuinely gave a damn. Even now, this is a club that is playing with some pride and is not simply going through the motions as the regular season winds down.

So now, as we prepare for another spring without MJHL playoff hockey, questions will be asked on what needs to change for next season. My answer for that not much needs to be deconstructed, because this team actually is headed in the right direction.

Now don’t take this laymen’s assessment as blind optimism though, as I do recognize that compared to other markets in the league, Neepawa does work from a disadvantage.  We don’t have the fancy arenas or deep pockets that communities such as Portage la Prairie, Dauphin and Virden have, which hinders just how quickly we’re able to improve. And let’s not kid ourselves here, the aura of 2011 still surrounds this team to a degree, on a national level. 

What I hope the community takes into the off-season is the understanding is that this club has made incremental gains, but to move to the next level, it’ll take more time and most importantly, more patience.

Losing sucks, whether you’re a player, a coach or a fan, but how you deal with it reveals the character of your team and your community and determines whether losing becomes a habit or a spark that ultimately ignites success.