antagon
The Man
- Dec 6, 2009
- 3,572
- 295
- 48
the focus on doing things right and affirming competitive spirit has worked too well in the past for it to be abandoned. wrong answers and lost games are not mutually exclusive to the battle and the effort to solve problems and win. i believe children can benefit from earlier exposure to life, rather than this presumption that sheltering and coddling will actually rear adults who can perform in the real world.
Competitiveness is intrinsic in humans, it doesn't need to be indoctrinated by over zealous adults at that age.
After years of coaching, I honestly believe little league was invented for fathers that failed in sports. Kids are better off going to a playground and having a 'choose up' game all by themselves and let them work things out on their own. There should be a sign posted...NO ADULTS ALLOWED
our intrinsic competitiveness is not enough to ensure real excellence in young people. this needs to be fostered, instead. the tales of exceptional people don't generally bank on innate competitiveness, but commonly on drive and motivation pressed upon them from young, by circumstances or their parents. this is particularly true in sports.
this all depends on your definition of 'better off'. i argue that this definition has changed over the years and that this new one which values comfort over reality is not superior.
i dont disagree that some can be overzealous with their kids, but does that justify not scoring games or grading work based on performance? can you recognize that the goal of these tactics is to knock the edge off of our competitive nature?