On my home page are the words “Dream Big.” Last week I related the March dream for US boarding school places to the college basketball championship. Sunday the U. of South Carolina dreamt big and, for the first time, earned a place in the Final Four of the March Madness US college championship!

Many students this month are feeling similar excitement after earning a place at their dream boarding school. Others are not feeling this way. How do young people deal with rejection – in fact, any of us really?

Last July my home country of Wales also dreamt big when their soccer team made it to the semi-finals of the European Championships, also for the first time. They did so with a major upset of much-vaunted Belgium.

On the sidelines after the game, feeling the euphoria and with stunned Belgian supporters in the stands, Welsh coach Chris Coleman spoke movingly about what this upset victory meant, in terms of both having dreams and of facing failure. It's 48 seconds of magic:

He speaks both of dreams and of failure and the importance of both. Some young people will be feeling a sense of failure at not achieving their dreams in this admissions cycle– but I would add the word “ yet. “

Think of Coleman’s words and keep striving, keep looking for success and it will come. For parents, don’t despair, keep searching with your child for the next dream school, encourage your child to be resilient in the face of apparent failure, and the right school will emerge. Success in life arises from facing, and overcoming, what are just moments of failure.