“Why Do You Do This to Us Every Time?” – Bob Landers’ Question to the Penrith Panthers Head Coach
Bob Landers sat in the locker room, his frustration palpable as he stared down at his cleats, still damp from the field. The locker room was buzzing with the sounds of teammates talking, getting changed, and packing up their gear, but the weight of defeat lingered in the air like a thick fog. Another loss. Another game where they had come so close but fell short. And now, Bob was asking the question that had been eating away at him for weeks.
“Why do you do this to us every time?”
The words hung in the air, and for a brief moment, the room fell silent. Bob wasn’t the type to vocalize his frustrations often. He was usually the one leading by example, encouraging his teammates, pushing through the tough moments. But today, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He had to ask. It wasn’t just the game, or the result, or the season’s unpredictable turns. No, it was something deeper — a cycle they couldn’t break, a constant in their performances that left him questioning the very foundation of their strategy, their culture, and their coach’s vision.
Coach Kevin, the mastermind behind their strategies, was a man who demanded excellence. He had built the Penrith Panthers into a powerhouse over the years, but for Bob, there was a nagging feeling that something was off. Every time they reached the peak, the team would fall. It wasn’t just the losing streaks that hurt. It was the way they lost — the mistakes, the miscalculations, the inability to close out games in crucial moments. The question echoed in Bob’s mind: why did they always come so close, only to fall short? Was it the coach’s tactics? The players’ mindset? Or something else entirely?
The team’s recent performances had been a microcosm of their entire season: flashes of brilliance followed by moments of self-doubt, confusion, and poor decision-making. It was almost as if there was a mental barrier they couldn’t break through. And every time it happened, the same question would surface — why do they let it happen? Why did they repeat the same mistakes time after time?
The Setting: A Season of Highs and Lows
It had been an incredible season for the Panthers, filled with high points — some of the best games in the competition, thrilling comebacks, and unforgettable moments that kept fans on the edge of their seats. But those highs were often followed by crushing lows, games where they should have won but inexplicably faltered. The team had been on the brink of greatness, only to see victory slip away at the final whistle. Whether it was poor handling in the final minutes, missed tackles, or a lapse in concentration, the Panthers seemed to always stumble at the wrong moment.
For Bob, these losses were particularly hard to take. As a key player, he had a responsibility to lead on the field, but no matter how hard he tried, no matter how well he performed, the team couldn’t seem to find that elusive consistency. There were days when he felt like they were on the brink of a breakthrough, a moment where they would finally put it all together. But that moment always seemed just out of reach.
Bob’s Frustration and His Relationship with the Coach
Bob’s relationship with Coach Kevin was one built on respect. Coach Kevin had a vision for the team, one that focused on discipline, strategy, and precision. He was a man who studied the game in minute detail, analyzing each player’s strengths and weaknesses, and developing tailored strategies to maximize the team’s potential. Under his guidance, the Panthers had reached impressive heights. But at the same time, Bob had started to question whether Kevin’s strategy was the key to their struggles or if the coach was so focused on perfection that he was overlooking the simple human elements that made a winning team.
Over the course of the season, Bob had tried to understand the coach’s tactics. The drills were grueling, the meetings lengthy, and the expectations high. But despite all the preparation, when the final whistle blew, there were still too many unanswered questions. Why was the team unable to keep its composure in tight situations? Why did they fall apart when victory was within reach? Was it a matter of tactics, or was it something deeper — a mental block that was preventing them from achieving their full potential?
Bob wasn’t alone in his frustration. His teammates shared similar concerns, but no one had the courage to voice them, not like Bob did. He had reached his breaking point. After another disappointing loss, with the echoes of “coulda, woulda, shoulda” filling the locker room, Bob couldn’t hold back any longer. His question was aimed at Coach Kevin, but it wasn’t just for him — it was for the entire team. It was the question that everyone had been too afraid to ask.
“Why do you do this to us every time?”
The Coach’s Response: The Complexity of Leadership
Coach Kevin sat across from Bob, his face a mask of calm. He had been in this position before, dealing with the pressures of being a head coach, the responsibility of leading a team with such high expectations. He understood the frustration, the disappointment, but he also knew the answers weren’t as simple as Bob wanted them to be. As the coach, he was aware of the nuances that influenced the team’s performance — factors that players, particularly someone as passionate and driven as Bob, might not fully grasp.
Coach Kevin leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table as he thought carefully about his response. He knew that Bob’s question wasn’t just about the losses. It was about the heartache of coming so close and failing, over and over again. He also knew that Bob’s frustration was shared by many others in the room. The team was undeniably talented, yet something wasn’t clicking.
“Bob,” Coach Kevin began, his voice steady but with a hint of exhaustion, “the reality is, this game isn’t just about X’s and O’s. It’s about mindset. It’s about execution. And sometimes, no matter how hard you work, how perfect the plan, the human element — the pressure, the fatigue, the split-second decisions — all of that comes into play.”
Bob listened intently, but it didn’t provide the comfort he was looking for. He wanted a concrete answer, something he could grasp onto. “But why does it always seem to happen to us?” Bob asked again. “Why do we always get to the final moments, and then something falls apart? Is it the tactics, or is it something deeper?”
Coach Kevin paused for a moment before responding. “It’s both,” he said simply. “Our tactics are solid. But what happens in those final moments — that’s about trust. Trust in yourself, trust in your teammates, and trust in the plan we’ve set out. But, Bob, you know as well as I do, that trust can be fragile. And when the pressure’s on, it’s easy to lose sight of it.”
It wasn’t the kind of answer Bob wanted. He didn’t want to hear that the game’s outcome came down to fragile human trust. He wanted to hear that with a few tweaks, with the right adjustments, they could finally break free from the cycle. But Coach Kevin’s words hit home in a way that he hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just about the game strategy. It was about the mental fortitude required to execute it under pressure.
“Listen,” Coach Kevin continued, his voice softening, “the reason this happens over and over again is because we’re still learning. Every loss teaches us something. Every moment we fall short is an opportunity to grow. The team isn’t there yet — not mentally, not emotionally. But we will get there. It’s not a question of ‘if,’ but ‘when.'”
Bob’s mind was racing as he processed the coach’s words. It was true — the team had talent, but mental strength was what had been lacking. The drive to push through when things got tough, the ability to stay calm when the game was on the line — that was what they needed to work on. And yet, Bob couldn’t help but feel that they had been working on it for so long, without seeing the kind of progress they had hoped for.
The Path Forward: Building Mental Resilience
The conversation with Coach Kevin did not provide all the answers Bob was seeking, but it did offer a new perspective. It was clear that the Panthers had the tools to succeed, but there was a deeper, intangible element that needed to be addressed: mental resilience. The next step for Bob and his teammates would be to cultivate that resilience — to learn how to stay calm, focused, and confident in the final moments of a game.
Bob left the locker room that night feeling conflicted. The question that had haunted him had been answered, but it wasn’t the answer he had hoped for. The real battle, it seemed, was not just on the field, but within themselves. It was about trusting the process, trusting the coach, and most importantly, trusting each other.
As the season wore on, Bob would carry the coach’s words with him. He knew that the team was capable of greatness, but greatness wasn’t achieved overnight. It would take time, patience, and a collective effort to overcome the mental barriers that held them back. And though the journey ahead was uncertain, one thing was clear: the question that Bob had asked, the frustration that had fueled it, would not be the end of their story. It would be the beginning of a new chapter — one where the Penrith Panthers would finally break through and achieve the success they had longed for.
Leave a Reply