While this is nowhere near the same thing, I really feel for TJ Perenara and Brad Weber. They did all that they could to make it into the All Blacks, but just didn’t make the cut.

I was in a similar situation in my waterpolo playing days. I think it was my position in my team that meant I wasn’t selected for the NZ team in my last years at high school. I was seen as the suitable person for what is called the hole position, or perhaps centre forward, depending on who you talk to.

Until then I didn’t have much experience in the position, but I’m sure of two things. One is that if I was in a different position, my chances of being chosen for the team would have been much higher, and two, that if I had continued playing, I would have eventually made the team.

I felt rather dejected at the time, and coupled with moving to another city, I gave up on the sport I had dedicated 10 good years of my life to. Needless to say, it’s one of my biggest regrets (along with quitting the piano at 12, and not taking up Spanish at high school).

These days I’m completely fine with the decisions, I have a good life in a great place, and still enjoy swimming. I do dream of playing waterpolo every now and then (this area doesn’t have a pool deep enough for waterpolo, so I have to settle for swimming).

However, yet again I am reminded of regretting things I did not do. It’s much better to at least give things the college try before giving up on them. Your desire to do that thing in the first place is coming from your subconscious, which is as powerful a motivator as anything, and should be listened to. You owe it to yourself to see if there’s anything to what your subconscious is telling you.

Which is to say that TJ and Brad need to just keep doing what they’re doing. They’ve already proven that they have what it takes, now all they need to do is keep working at it and there will be other chances. Feeling dejected is natural, but it doesn’t have to be that way, and that feeling can be turned into motivation to do well.