IMHO the primary differences between decent
players and teams, and the ones that eventually bocome
great, are how well they can handle being on the
recieving end of brutal ass-whippings.
Ultimately
it's a combination of talent, hard work, experience,
and what I'd call "competetive fire".
Early in
our careers, my teammates and I lost matches by 500+
points multiple times but we eventually wound up playing
in the finals of national tournaments.
Some
people get discouraged. Others come back and wipe the
smug grins off the faces of the old farts.