Why does everyone tell me “play for yourself,” but all eyes are on the scoreboard?

Seriously now… before every game I hear the same line: “Relax, just play for yourself!” And I actually try. I tell myself: “Okay, today I’ll just enjoy the game, no pressure.”

But guess what? After the first quarter, when I look up into the stands, I see all the eyes glued to… the scoreboard.

Down by 10? Eyebrows tighten.

Up by 5? Everyone suddenly looks relaxed.

So, which one is it? Am I playing for myself or for those numbers on the board?

And the funniest part? At the end, someone comes to me and says: “Great game… too bad we lost.” Wait - so did I play well or not?

Maybe the truth is somewhere in between: yes, I should play for myself… but everyone else seems to forget that the joy of the game doesn’t always fit into a score.

What do you think? Play for yourself or for the scoreboard? Write to me in the comments 👇