In the final seconds of the Division III championship, Birmingham High School sealed the win with a last-minute touchdown, edging out Van Nuys 38-29 and ending the team’s’ title hopes in a crushing season finale..

Athletes are taught that winning isn’t everything. But that lesson hits harder after pouring a season’s worth of effort into a title game that ends in heartbreak.

For many players, the loss went beyond the scoreboard. It marked the end of months of sacrifice — latenight practices, missed weekends and the weight of dreams that came close but never materialized.

Losses can shake confidence and motivation, sometimes leading to poor performances in future games. But setbacks also teach perseverance and offer space for growth.

Both the 2023-2024 girls basketball team and the 2024-2025 boys football team made it to the championship round only to fall just short of the title.

The basketball team had a 19-3 record, while the football team finished 8-6.

“I feel that last year’s record was outstanding,” varsity girls basketball player and sophomore Kenya Perryman said. “For us to be able to go on a 12-game winning streak definitely felt good for the whole team.”

Their playoff runs were hard-fought, but neither team came home with the trophy.

Watching the celebration unfold, Van Nuys players stood silent, stunned that their season and title hopes had just slipped away.

“Watching the opposing team celebrate was heartbreaking, knowing the outcome could’ve been different,” varsity football player and junior Carlos Herrera said. “I do think the results of that game should’ve been different because we are the better team by far and have been working towards our championship goal since Feb. of last year.”

Preparation didn’t stop when school did. Both teams practiced through summer and weekends..

“To prepare for our championship game, we all woke up as a team bright and early every morning leading up to the game and had early morning practices,” Herrera said. “We would watch and study film of the other team and work on our plays.”

The football team made history by being the first team to make it to the championships since 1996.

The basketball team took first in their league and advanced to the Division II finals, finishing as runner-ups.

“Being the first team to make it back to the championships since 2018 is a big accomplishment for us,” Perryman said. “That just shows our determination as a team and how we are a team that fights hard, all while trying our best to encourage one another to the finish line.”

Defeat can be mentally and physically tough for athletes and coaches, but the art of losing is just as important as winning. Loss teaches resilience, patience and the ability to rise after setbacks. It forces athletes to reflect, adjust and push themselves beyond their limits.

“Losing this game was important for our journey going into the 2025-2026 football season because we know what we are capable of doing,” Herrera said. “We proved those who doubted us wrong once and plan on doing that again. This game will motivate us to make it back and win a championship this year.”

This mindset is echoed by athletes who recognize that defeat is not the end, but rather a stepping stone to growth and future success.

“I feel like it’s a really big accomplishment for our school and for the team but we know we can accomplish more and that is what we intend on doing this next upcoming season and accomplishing more than this year and getting better,” Herrera said.

While the basketball and football teams may not have claimed the championship title, their journey was not in vain. They learned the value of perseverance and the strength that comes with overcoming disappointment.

Winning is temporary, but the lessons from losing last a lifetime. Success isn’t just defined by trophies, but by growth and resilience.

“I 100% think that losing is an important part of the journey,” Perryman said. “To lose is to learn and develop. We are all not going to be good at everything all the time; but we can learn how to strengthen our skills and better ourselves through our losses and try to persevere for a better outcome.”

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2025 print edition.