Everybody Wins!

[SOLDIER #819]

Then again, it's just sports with little kids. Most parents/teachers probably ended up agreeing that potentially hurting feelings over a trophy was a lot worse than possibly motivating others to "do their best." Competition has its good sides, but it can also do harm. Weighing the pros and cons and knowing when it is appropriate to award kids and how to award them is important too.

Even if adults don't keep score, it won't be long before kids start making distinctions between themselves. Recess never gave out trophies. They'll pick the best players to be on their team, exclude the ones who aren't, and generally do what they need to do to win just like any of us do. They WILL learn about life regardless of whether we teach it to them or not. Organizing tournament teams and handing out medals, for all the good that it may do, can just end up reinforcing some really shitty philosophies on life in a rather overt manner.

This whole thing is only ridiculous if a fuss is raised about it. It's a different generation in an ever-changing society and yet another way to cope with it all. And previous generations will ALWAYS be complaining about how the new ones are all wrong. Life's tough, so as long as kids have an average (or not so average) family and school there will always be things to knock them down a peg. If it's not sports, it'll be something else.

[Alpha]

Even if adults don't keep score, it won't be long before kids start making distinctions between themselves.

This.

Competition is natural and will always exist.

If this trend really does exist, then I am glad. There is such a thing as a positive-sum game, where it is possible for both 'teams' to come away with something.

The whole, "I win, you lose" (negative-sum) attitude is inherently selfish and unsympathetic.

At the same time, "I win, you lose" will always exist. I'm looking forward to it coming down a peg, however.

EDIT: When I was in secondary school (high school), I coached two junior basketball teams. As in all teams, some players were better than others. Not surprisingly, I favoured them in terms of court time, in order to have a better chance of winning.

However what I rewarded above all else was humility, good manners and sportsmanship. If one of my players, even one of the the best, was rude to or about the opposition, I took them off the court. I couldn't care if it was the last minute of the final, and we were down by a single point -- if they were rude, insensitive or arrogant, they did not deserve to play.

I did have skilled players who I detested for such reasons. The attitude they came equipped with is that winning is all that matters, and that values of compassion, camaraderie, tolerance and, well, kindness, were secondary to winning. I refused to reward that, and that is a principle I intend to instill in my children when the day comes.