Went to the indoor soccer game yesterday. My Grandson plays and I go to support his athletic endeavors. I have been there for T-Ball,little league and outdoor soccer. I do enjoy watching all the children play. Not because of the exercise they get, but to watch their development. The skills will come with practice but it is the character development that is most important. And in that category I am at odds with today's thinking. For the most part the score is not officially kept. There are no winners and losers. At least that is the rhetoric I'm hearing. Check with the kids however and they pretty much know the score.
My opinion is that the score should indeed be kept. I don't see where teaching children about winning and losing is a bad thing. Doesn't that happen to each of us everyday ? How this line of reasoning came to be is a mystery to me. Wasn't like that when I was growing up. Games were played and the score was kept. Sometimes you won and sometimes you lost. Sure, I was told the purpose of playing the game was to have fun. Didn't take me long to figure out that winning was a whole lot more fun than losing. The result was I tried a little harder. It didn't ruin my life. What I did learn was some kids could play ball better than I, some could excel in academics and not everyone is the same. I had to learn to deal with that reality. I learned those lessons at a early age. I learned I may not be a star, but I can still be a part of the team.
In each of the sports the Grandson participates they have a tournament at the end of the season. Whether you had a winning or losing season doesn't matter. Remember no score is kept. So it is possible that the team that has won all season long can lose the tournament and receive nothing. What does that teach them. Hard work and dedication over a long period of time is not necessary ! Play a few games at the end of the season and you can be champs. Wrong message if you ask me.
Yes you may be sparing their feelings right now but at what cost ? The world is a hard and cruel place. Those around you will not always be your family,friends and teammates. You had best teach them to accept that reality and quickly. Of equal importance is to teach them to deal with loss. Whether it is the loss of a game or the loss of something else, acceptance is key. The " it's not fair " syndrome is rampant in this country. Life isn't fair and no one promised it would be. We,as a society, made rules to keep things as fair as possible. But those same rules do not ensure success. That is a lesson to be learned and accepted. The sooner the better.
My opinion is that the score should indeed be kept. I don't see where teaching children about winning and losing is a bad thing. Doesn't that happen to each of us everyday ? How this line of reasoning came to be is a mystery to me. Wasn't like that when I was growing up. Games were played and the score was kept. Sometimes you won and sometimes you lost. Sure, I was told the purpose of playing the game was to have fun. Didn't take me long to figure out that winning was a whole lot more fun than losing. The result was I tried a little harder. It didn't ruin my life. What I did learn was some kids could play ball better than I, some could excel in academics and not everyone is the same. I had to learn to deal with that reality. I learned those lessons at a early age. I learned I may not be a star, but I can still be a part of the team.
In each of the sports the Grandson participates they have a tournament at the end of the season. Whether you had a winning or losing season doesn't matter. Remember no score is kept. So it is possible that the team that has won all season long can lose the tournament and receive nothing. What does that teach them. Hard work and dedication over a long period of time is not necessary ! Play a few games at the end of the season and you can be champs. Wrong message if you ask me.
Yes you may be sparing their feelings right now but at what cost ? The world is a hard and cruel place. Those around you will not always be your family,friends and teammates. You had best teach them to accept that reality and quickly. Of equal importance is to teach them to deal with loss. Whether it is the loss of a game or the loss of something else, acceptance is key. The " it's not fair " syndrome is rampant in this country. Life isn't fair and no one promised it would be. We,as a society, made rules to keep things as fair as possible. But those same rules do not ensure success. That is a lesson to be learned and accepted. The sooner the better.
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