Overemphasis on winning detracts from what participating in youth sports can and should be.
Learning about the game, learning about life
Today, there’s an overarching emphasis on winning, especially as players get older. While I understand that, I also worry that the emphasis on winning overshadows many of the important effects that sports participation can bring. The pride that comes from representing one’s school and teammates is an example. Another example is how sports can teach you how to deal with pressure and handle yourself after a big win and a painful loss.
There’s also an often-overlooked matter that is right before our eyes. Participants are called student-athletes, not athlete-students, which means academics come first. Next in my book comes the value of loving the game and having fun playing.
The is an institutional role, too. For example, some schools don’t have an end-of-the-year awards banquet because they don’t want to offend those who didn’t win awards. I don’t get that. Furthermore, in my day, not every athlete was guaranteed a spot on a team. Many who tried out got cut. The general attitude back then was to work hard and go out the following year. Today, some schools have a no-cut policy. Is that a good thing? It’s not as I see it because the real world doesn’t work that way. Sports participation should help athletes prepare for what they will face as adults.
These are reasons why I believe coaches and those responsible administratively need to view youth athletics as a training ground for life.
Excellent article! I feel the same way. I have played several different sports throughout my life and have lost as much as I have won. I think I became a good looser, as well as a good winner. I’ve always had good sportsmanship. I think that’s important. The last sport I played competitively was men’s softball. I played for 23 years. The last 11 – 11 1/2 years on the same team. We played 2 – 3 times a year and played at a high level. We had multiple trophys for both 1st and 2nd place. That ended over 15 years ago and I was 43 at the time. But, it’s a time that I will never forget with a great bunch of guys. Great article Matthew Paris. I hope many more people read this!