Looking at an individiual sport rather than a team sport, one has to remember that the name of the game in sports is competition. While a person may not be the best athlete on a team, the focus is still on "team." And individual does not win or lose a team game. (As the saying goes: the first inning is as important as the last inning.) However, in individual sports, the person is going solo. If self-esteem is the issue, how will the person cope with individual losses?