Comments on: Wins and Losses http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/ Parenting from a Dad's eye view Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:18:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Bruce Hill http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Bruce Hill Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:41:45 +0000 http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/#comment-433 Wins and losses are important. Not most important, but important none the less. Now, don't get me wrong, I do believe that the most important thing learned in youth sports is sportsmanship, teamwork and the mastering of the required skills. Also, the "win at all cost" mentality is not acceptable, ever. Yet, we can not dismiss the natural competitiveness we are all born with, and made this country great. Competition and the desire to do better has been at the root of all great acheivements. My girls play in a soccer league where score is not kept. Yet, during every game the kids keep track in their heads(so do their parents). There is nothing wrong with that. Look at our sports heroes. Have you ever heard Tom Brady say before the Super bowl, "I am just happy to be here." I'm guessing not. Rather you would more apt to here something like, "it's not over yet," or "we still have one more game to win." The "just being happy to be here" mentallity is born of the "let's not keep score philosophy, which does not teach our kids to be the best they can be. I want my girls to be armed with the attitude, strength, and courage to compete with anyone, whether it be in the classroom, workplace or the sports arena. I do not want them to be content to "just play", rather I would hope they strive to be the best at whatever they choose. Even if it means losing once in a while. The world is a tough place. We win and lose every day. Whether we get the into the college we want, get the sale, or the promotion, we need to equip our children with the coping skills to deal with life's up's and down's. Those lessons are offen first learned on the field of competition. I don't want my girls to be ashamed to lose. I hope they have to feel the sting of defeat along the way. So, keep score. For it is only with the distain of defeat that the triumph of victory can be truly appreciated.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('433','Bruce Hill'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('433','Bruce Hill','Wins and losses are important. Not most important, but important none the less.\r\nNow, don\'t get me wrong, I do believe that the most important thing learned in youth sports is sportsmanship, teamwork and the mastering of the required skills. Also, the \"win at all cost\" mentality is not acceptable, ever. Yet, we can not dismiss the natural competitiveness we are all born with, and made this country great. Competition and the desire to do better has been at the root of all great acheivements. \r\nMy girls play in a soccer league where score is not kept. Yet, during every game the kids keep track in their heads(so do their parents). There is nothing wrong with that.\r\nLook at our sports heroes. Have you ever heard Tom Brady say before the Super bowl, \"I am just happy to be here.\" I\'m guessing not. Rather you would more apt to here something like, \"it\'s not over yet,\" or \"we still have one more game to win.\" The \"just being happy to be here\" mentallity is born of the \"let\'s not keep score philosophy, which does not teach our kids to be the best they can be. \r\nI want my girls to be armed with the attitude, strength, and courage to compete with anyone, whether it be in the classroom, workplace or the sports arena. I do not want them to be content to \"just play\", rather I would hope they strive to be the best at whatever they choose. Even if it means losing once in a while. The world is a tough place. We win and lose every day. Whether we get the into the college we want, get the sale, or the promotion, we need to equip our children with the coping skills to deal with life\'s up\'s and down\'s. Those lessons are offen first learned on the field of competition. \r\nI don\'t want my girls to be ashamed to lose. I hope they have to feel the sting of defeat along the way. So, keep score. For it is only with the distain of defeat that the triumph of victory can be truly appreciated.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Wins and losses are important. Not most important, but important none the less.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do believe that the most important thing learned in youth sports is sportsmanship, teamwork and the mastering of the required skills. Also, the “win at all cost” mentality is not acceptable, ever. Yet, we can not dismiss the natural competitiveness we are all born with, and made this country great. Competition and the desire to do better has been at the root of all great acheivements.
My girls play in a soccer league where score is not kept. Yet, during every game the kids keep track in their heads(so do their parents). There is nothing wrong with that.
Look at our sports heroes. Have you ever heard Tom Brady say before the Super bowl, “I am just happy to be here.” I’m guessing not. Rather you would more apt to here something like, “it’s not over yet,” or “we still have one more game to win.” The “just being happy to be here” mentallity is born of the “let’s not keep score philosophy, which does not teach our kids to be the best they can be.
I want my girls to be armed with the attitude, strength, and courage to compete with anyone, whether it be in the classroom, workplace or the sports arena. I do not want them to be content to “just play”, rather I would hope they strive to be the best at whatever they choose. Even if it means losing once in a while. The world is a tough place. We win and lose every day. Whether we get the into the college we want, get the sale, or the promotion, we need to equip our children with the coping skills to deal with life’s up’s and down’s. Those lessons are offen first learned on the field of competition.
I don’t want my girls to be ashamed to lose. I hope they have to feel the sting of defeat along the way. So, keep score. For it is only with the distain of defeat that the triumph of victory can be truly appreciated.
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]]> By: struglas http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/comment-page-1/#comment-188 struglas Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:35:20 +0000 http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/#comment-188 information collection unit. love it. i'll be recycling that if you don't mind.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('188','struglas'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('188','struglas','information collection unit. love it. i\'ll be recycling that if you don\'t mind.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> information collection unit. love it. i’ll be recycling that if you don’t mind.
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]]> By: Joe http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/comment-page-1/#comment-186 Joe Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:41:16 +0000 http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/#comment-186 Yeah man! I agree totally. I am coaching youth basketball this season and it is all about getting kids to love the game. I have to admit I am getting the coaching bug after a month of it and love watching as kids start to "get it" finally. Good one Scott.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('186','Joe'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('186','Joe','Yeah man! I agree totally. I am coaching youth basketball this season and it is all about getting kids to love the game. I have to admit I am getting the coaching bug after a month of it and love watching as kids start to \"get it\" finally. Good one Scott.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Yeah man! I agree totally. I am coaching youth basketball this season and it is all about getting kids to love the game. I have to admit I am getting the coaching bug after a month of it and love watching as kids start to “get it” finally. Good one Scott.
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]]> By: Karen C. http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Karen C. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:53:45 +0000 http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/#comment-185 Sooo cool! It's cool to win, but I love it even more when my kids play their butts off, win or lose. Great post.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('185','Karen C.'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('185','Karen C.','Sooo cool! It\'s cool to win, but I love it even more when my kids play their butts off, win or lose. Great post.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Sooo cool! It’s cool to win, but I love it even more when my kids play their butts off, win or lose. Great post.
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]]> By: Xbox4NappyRash http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Xbox4NappyRash Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:05:55 +0000 http://www.disfordad.com/2007/11/29/wins-and-losses/#comment-183 That's impressive. There's a common train of thought emerging over here that wants to remove 'competition' and referees from children's sport. The kids learn more respect for each other as players through having to ref the games themselves and with no "must win at all costs" pressure they get to concentrate on the skills of the whichever sport they're playing, hence improving. Nice stuff I think.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('183','Xbox4NappyRash'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('183','Xbox4NappyRash','That\'s impressive.\r\n\r\nThere\'s a common train of thought emerging over here that wants to remove \'competition\' and referees from children\'s sport.\r\n\r\nThe kids learn more respect for each other as players through having to ref the games themselves and with no \"must win at all costs\" pressure they get to concentrate on the skills of the whichever sport they\'re playing, hence improving.\r\n\r\nNice stuff I think.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> That’s impressive.

There’s a common train of thought emerging over here that wants to remove ‘competition’ and referees from children’s sport.

The kids learn more respect for each other as players through having to ref the games themselves and with no “must win at all costs” pressure they get to concentrate on the skills of the whichever sport they’re playing, hence improving.

Nice stuff I think.

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