Winning?

[SittinOnDubsWGW]

Is it the most important thing in sports, or is having fun, or is it something else?

I had previously written papers for a "Philosophy of Sports" class a couple of years back dealing with similar thoughts in regards to "non-competitive sports," but haven't really thought about it much since then until today.

After working out, I went and enjoyed some breakfast. While I was sitting there, one of the usual managers came in with his son, who had just got done playing a game of basketball. I'm guessing the son was around 7 or 8 years old. While just hanging out waiting for the food, many of the waitresses came over and would say hi to them and whatnot and either the father or son would reply that they just got back from a basketball game.

The first question after this from the waitresses would always be "Did you win?" to which the father would always reply "at this age, they don't keep score, its all about having fun and developing their skills." The reply was usually "oh, I see." One of the replies that I thought was somewhat unusual was;
"at this age, they don't keep score, its all about having fun and developing their skills."
"yeah, but did your team still win?"
"What?"
"you mean that you guys didn't keep score in the stands to see if your son's team won?"
"No."
"We always do at our kids' games. It's not worth playing if you don't have a winner."

I see both sides of the fence here. I can see how for young kids, it should be more about going out and having fun and developing their skills. On the other hand, kids are going to have to face the fact that they are either good or not at things and will have to learn how they match up against others and find their strengths and weaknesses.

I think that as we get older, we become a lot more results-oriented and do not focus so much on the activity itself, and that is why winning is so important to us, as to where kids can go out and enjoy just the pure fun of "playing" the game, as to where us adults thrive on the competition and trying to be the best.

Anybody else's thoughts on the subject?

[Ugly Bastard]

I think kids don't have the capacity to appreciate or understand "winning" in the way that adults do. For kids, it's more about being active, interacting with each other, and maturing into a well rounded adult.

Once you become that adult, then you can focus on nothing but winning.

And generally speaking, society encourages kids not to take life too seriously. Worrying about nothing but winning is taking things too seriously.

[SittinOnDubsWGW]

Originally Posted by Ugly Bastard

And generally speaking, society encourages kids not to take life too seriously.

I agree, I kinda live my entire life that way. Far too many people get too uptight and take everything way too seriously. I just try to make the best out of every situation and have a good time.

I think that the major problem of kid's sports isn't the kids at all, its the parents. The problem becomes when you have the parent(s) that takes the game way too seriously and "ruins" it for the kids.

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Ugly Bastard

And generally speaking, society encourages kids not to take life too seriously.

Now, I'd side completely the other way. In this world of severe pc correctness, a child is mandated in how they act, what they can wear, and told their test results are going to make or break their future, I think everyone does take life far too seriously.

Results are everything and the only thing in these days. The journey is not the important part, just the finish. The only step that matters is the very last one. Today's world is a world of results, regardless of how you get to those results.

I'm probably a little biased as a teacher, though.

[jbonham]

As a kid, everyone wants to win. and at 7 or 8 I believe they should keep score. The only teams that don't are community teams like KCSL. The kids that play those leagues are on their way to becoming nothing. Winning isn't everything, but you have to strive for something otherwise there is no real advancement. That is why kids are better on select teams; they have motivation to become better players.

However, if parents get too involved in the sport, then the kids are hurt. I always hated those parents that yelled at their kids when they got beat. Fun is integral in sports and I think it is the basis of it, but if you take away the competitive feature of it then you are hurting your children more than helping them. Lessons learned from losing have been of far more value to me than the ones of winning.

I think Schroeder doesn't understand the journey part of life. I think in the long run the journey does matter, because the journey is where you learn how to get through to other, stronger finishes. Results matter, but if you always cheat, then sometime you will lose.

Originally Posted by Schroeder

Now, I'd side completely the other way. In this world of severe pc correctness, a child is mandated in how they act, what they can wear, and told their test results are going to make or break their future, I think everyone does take life far too seriously.

Results are everything and the only thing in these days. The journey is not the important part, just the finish. The only step that matters is the very last one. Today's world is a world of results, regardless of how you get to those results.

I'm probably a little biased as a teacher, though.

You see, I think this is completely false. We see evidence of the exact opposite of what you are describing by taking a look at todays 20-30 year olds. Psychologists/Sociologists/People who research social matters are acknowledging that our society has advanced enough to add an extra stage of development between adolescence and adulthood. Just 30 years ago it would be quite common to find people in their 20s to be acting as adults. But the new stage of development (I do not know if their is a name for it) delays adulthood and is increasingly social. People do not get married, or buy a house, or even pursue a serious career until much later. More emphasis is placed on social events and having fun. We are much, much more laid back than generations previous to us.