Good Sportsmanship
I had the pleasure of watching my nephew play basketball this past Saturday. His team won and won big, but we will never know what the actual score was because the league has a rule that the score can never be more than 10 points apart.
After the game the kids go to the back and get their stickers for "best defense", "best offense", "Christlike behavior". In actuality every kid walks away with some kind of "award".
I don't know how I feel about this. I played recreation league sports when I was my nephew's age and I don't remember such rules being in place.
I pretty much was always on a losing team. Fortunately, we didn't lose every game, but we lost alot. I personally think there is a lot to be learned from losing and even more from losing big. How can you know that you suck if you cannot look up at the scoreboard and see a 100-20 loss?
Also, I don't think every kid should get an award for just participating. I think it really dilutes the specialness of the other, real awards for real accomplishments. I struggled to get awards for being most improved. I felt better about the accomplishment because I knew the number of awards were limited.
What's the point of sports if everyone walks away a winner?
Maybe this is why the United States is losing it's edge in the international community. Could it be the fact that we coddle our children and make them feel all special and warm and they are all winners be taking away their drive to be better than everyone else?
After the game the kids go to the back and get their stickers for "best defense", "best offense", "Christlike behavior". In actuality every kid walks away with some kind of "award".
I don't know how I feel about this. I played recreation league sports when I was my nephew's age and I don't remember such rules being in place.
I pretty much was always on a losing team. Fortunately, we didn't lose every game, but we lost alot. I personally think there is a lot to be learned from losing and even more from losing big. How can you know that you suck if you cannot look up at the scoreboard and see a 100-20 loss?
Also, I don't think every kid should get an award for just participating. I think it really dilutes the specialness of the other, real awards for real accomplishments. I struggled to get awards for being most improved. I felt better about the accomplishment because I knew the number of awards were limited.
What's the point of sports if everyone walks away a winner?
Maybe this is why the United States is losing it's edge in the international community. Could it be the fact that we coddle our children and make them feel all special and warm and they are all winners be taking away their drive to be better than everyone else?
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