We have had a lot of information about this idea of winning or losing. Competition is not encouraged in schools anymore because they do not want children to feel they are less worthy than other children. I think it is the idea of being a winner or a loser. Unfortunately, in competition of any kind, if you are not seen as a winner, then you are seen as a loser. For this reason, schools try to avoid competition altogether. Well...that is not the answer. I believe it is the worst thing we can do. Children are learning that there are no losers - then they come into the real world - of business and even competitive sport. If you can't make it in business, you are out. There is no second chance.
I believe we should encourage children to compete against themselves, and if they win a race because of that - fantastic. I saw so many athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, who did not win a medal. Does that make them losers ? How far from the truth that is. Some of them produced their best times ever in a particular sport. You could see their pride. There is no way they feel bad about themselves. Their lives have been enriched by the experience and they have grown as people.
Winning and losing is part of life and always will be. Let us teach our children, and the athletes of tomorrow, to give it all they have got...to continually compete against themselves, and others, to be the very best they can be. Its okay to be placed second, or even last, if you have done your best.
I ran and coached a swimming club many years ago, and some of the kids were not very skilled at swimming. We would enter them in the swim meets, and they would come last by a long way. Other kids would even laugh at them which seemed quite cruel. After the galas, we would ask each of them "did you give it you very best shot ?" If they said yes, they were told they were winners in themselves. The actual position in the race was not important. With this attitude, not one of them ever wanted to miss a race - no matter how bad their skill was. The end result, after a time, was that a few of my swimmers went on to swim for Zimbabwe.
Lets hope our athletes have the winning bug, even if it is just for themselves, at the 2012 London Olympics.
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