BY LIAM KIETH

Truman High School’s football team, in recent years, has gained some notoriety or in some cases infamy due to their  win-loss record. Consistently, season after season, the team outpours optimism into the team, but instead they need to discuss one of the major issues that clouds around them, their win-loss record. The fans do not hold their tongues about the team’s record, and football players find themselves facing an onslaught or conversations about their lack of wins with everyone from freshman to seniors. 

Truman isn’t alone, though. Teams in the National Football League have had winless seasons, such as the Browns or the Lions, but for those teams they earned a high draft pick. Obviously high school football doesn’t include a draft, but is there some way they can benefit from their record? Being an underdog consistently makes your advantages known, teams will undermine and try to put the least amount of effort into the game. Truman players understand this and use it to their advantage. Senior Anthony Ulberg shares the sentiment of Bert Bell’s phrase that became the namesake of football, “Any Given Sunday,” which is used to show that the odds of a game don’t necessarily matter because either team can win. On the other hand, the major disadvantage is that team morale is down year after year. Ulberg explained, “the attitude isn’t just right yet…we need to be unified.” Senior Javier Mendoza agrees, “The program won’t change with people separately deciding to improve, we need to improve as a team.” The team just played their first game against Raytown South, and were dealt a devastating comeback loss. 

Truman, like many teams, tries to win each play in hopes that it leads to W in the win column. However, this mindset can backfire in some cases. When a team constantly focuses on winning every play, a string of lost places can cause morale and confidence to falter. Truman might benefit from a slight mindset adjustment where they remember their mistakes but don’t live in them. These athletes don’t lack the talent or the skill to be a winning football team, and a focus on the mental aspects of the game might pay future dividends in win percentage.