Keep Swinging

David Steininger
October 10, 2025

Last night was a hard night to be a Philadelphia sports fan.

The Flyers lost. The Eagles lost. The Phillies lost.

But I’ve actually seen some really good reflection come out of it today.

Here’s something that popped up in my feed:

📸 Yong Kim

The game is hard. Arguably, the most difficult sport in the world to be consistently good at. Beyond the mere physical skill aspect, the game is as much if not more mental than physical.

Last night, we saw a professional player in a high pressure moment allow the panic to set in and make a mistake.

He's being chastised by the fans, many of who enjoy the game but don't truly understand how difficult it is.

He was comforted by those around him who truly know the game.

The isolation and aloneness he must have felt in that moment must have been soul crushing.

We've seen multiple physical errors in these playoffs by the people at the top of this game.

The pro players have pressure from thousands who don't know them personally.

Your player can feel that same level of pressure from you because with you it's personal.

So the next time your 12 year old makes a bad throw, boots a grounder in the field or does something dumb on the bases, have some grace and patience and remember it's part of the game.

— Christopher Rice

That post hit me. Especially with my kids being involved in sports, I want to be mindful of how I handle disappointment — in other people, and especially in myself. I don’t want to carry failure any further than it’s helpful. I don’t want my kids to either.

For starters, don’t get tunnel visioned. Don’t lose sight of what did go well and what is working.

The Phillies didn’t get to the NLDS by being a bad team.

“But they messed up when it mattered most!” You could look at it that way. Or you could consider every game that led up to this series to have mattered just as much. After all, there were 13 other teams in the division that didn’t get this far to have the opportunity to lose this series. Three bad games shouldn’t erase an entire season of success.

Back east, Jalen Hurts threw a costly interception. But it was his first interception after 305 pass attempts without one. That’s impressive. Yet it’s easier to focus on the streak broken than the streak kept.

And it’s the same in life and business.

We work hard. But sometimes we’ll slip.

A project doesn’t turn out as planned.

A prospective client chooses to “go in another direction.”

A contract doesn’t get renewed.

Often times our “failure” is completely outside of our control. But that does little to soften the blow.

But keep swinging.

Easier said than done. It’s hard to shake off discouragement. Especially when we’re alone.

That’s why we need people around us who remind us of our wins, our strengths, and our ability to keep delivering value. We need to connect with people who understand first hand the challenges we face everyday; who we know aren’t just offering empty platitudes, but are encouraging us from actual lived experiences.

If you’re a solopreneur, this might not come naturally.

I spend most of my working hours by myself in my home office. If I goof up or I’m otherwise faced with failure or rejection, I don’t have anyone readily available to process this with.

As a man of faith, I know I’m never truly alone. Jesus offers hope and peace even in the darkest moments.

But one of the ways we experience that hope is through connection with others.

I’m grateful for my wife and close friends who do that for me.

And I’m especially grateful for the entrepreneurial communities I’ve been a part of, and the peers and coaches who have celebrated my wins and supported me through streak of uncertainty.

Please, connect with other people who know the game. Who understand first hand the challenges your facing. And allow them to speak encouragement into your life.

Are you wrestling though something right now? I would love to be an encouragement to you or help connect you with someone else who can.

One nice thing about not being a professional athlete, you don’t have to wait for the spring to start a new season. You have new opportunities everyday to step up to the plate and take another swing at things.