Winning and Losing. Yes, and Losing.
Let's kick the tires and light the fires. It's time for a Thursday Haterade expanded rant.
I was reading this article on Deadspin yesterday about a youth soccer/football league in Canada. They've implemented a rule that dictates this: if your team wins by five goals or more, you lose the game. That's right; no more blowout wins for you, achievers. The "playing for fun" crowd can't handle it. It might hurt their feelings.
"It's all about self-esteem, and fostering a 'non-competitive' environment, says the league, which has 3,000 kids ranging in age from 4 to 18. If it's non-competitive, why bother to keep score at all? Moreso, if it's non-competitive, why punish teams by taking away their W? I thought wins didn't matter?"
As much fun as it is to make fun of Canada - and it surely is - we Americans need not throw stones when this lot is running athletics leagues here where "winning is about so much more than the final score" for our own delicate children.
Let's pause to get some thoughts on this subject from hip-hop icon Jay-Z. Hova?
Couldn't agree more. That's what we're raising these days.
No, winning is not the only thing that matters. People who think that are wrong. But you do lose in life. Sometimes, things just don't go your way. If you teach children that everybody is a winner, the entitled little urchins won't know how to act like adults when they don't get that big job they think should be theirs right out of school. This not only does them a major disservice, they probably grow up to wear this:
Why should children who are capable have to be punished because little Cameron/Madison/(insert trendy last name as first name here) went home and cried in his(?) chicken nuggets because he just isn't quite as good at sports as other children? GO PRACTICE, KID. Earn your keep.
Most coaches spread the PT (playing time) around. I played church basketball when I was young. I SUCKED. I got to play enough to make it worth it, my teams won, and we all went home happy. I learned that if I really wanted to be out there, I had to earn my playing time by doing my layups, free throws and jump shots in the driveway. Did I? Not a chance. I was lazy that way. But I didn't bitch about playing time, because I knew I was the sucky fat kid! I went in and got my 2.5 points, 3 fouls and 5 minutes of playing time and represented the 33.
Meritocracy is lost in this country. We just celebrated Memorial Day. Do you think our soldiers died on the sands of Normandy and Iwo Jima so that we could raise children who don't understand winning and losing? Parents: grow a pair. Encourage children to try harder instead of cry harder.
I was reading this article on Deadspin yesterday about a youth soccer/football league in Canada. They've implemented a rule that dictates this: if your team wins by five goals or more, you lose the game. That's right; no more blowout wins for you, achievers. The "playing for fun" crowd can't handle it. It might hurt their feelings.
"It's all about self-esteem, and fostering a 'non-competitive' environment, says the league, which has 3,000 kids ranging in age from 4 to 18. If it's non-competitive, why bother to keep score at all? Moreso, if it's non-competitive, why punish teams by taking away their W? I thought wins didn't matter?"
As much fun as it is to make fun of Canada - and it surely is - we Americans need not throw stones when this lot is running athletics leagues here where "winning is about so much more than the final score" for our own delicate children.
Let's pause to get some thoughts on this subject from hip-hop icon Jay-Z. Hova?
Couldn't agree more. That's what we're raising these days.
No, winning is not the only thing that matters. People who think that are wrong. But you do lose in life. Sometimes, things just don't go your way. If you teach children that everybody is a winner, the entitled little urchins won't know how to act like adults when they don't get that big job they think should be theirs right out of school. This not only does them a major disservice, they probably grow up to wear this:
Why should children who are capable have to be punished because little Cameron/Madison/(insert trendy last name as first name here) went home and cried in his(?) chicken nuggets because he just isn't quite as good at sports as other children? GO PRACTICE, KID. Earn your keep.
Most coaches spread the PT (playing time) around. I played church basketball when I was young. I SUCKED. I got to play enough to make it worth it, my teams won, and we all went home happy. I learned that if I really wanted to be out there, I had to earn my playing time by doing my layups, free throws and jump shots in the driveway. Did I? Not a chance. I was lazy that way. But I didn't bitch about playing time, because I knew I was the sucky fat kid! I went in and got my 2.5 points, 3 fouls and 5 minutes of playing time and represented the 33.
Meritocracy is lost in this country. We just celebrated Memorial Day. Do you think our soldiers died on the sands of Normandy and Iwo Jima so that we could raise children who don't understand winning and losing? Parents: grow a pair. Encourage children to try harder instead of cry harder.