What's so wrong with a good old fashioned whoopin'?
October 15th 2008 02:59
On MSN sports today there was a story about an US football high school team that got beaten 91-0 by another high school team (obviously!). I don't have a great problem with any team losing, but when parents start to complain about why so many points were needed to win, I get upset. Here's why.
Life is all about learning and improving. Now if you play someone better and they whoop your backside, then maybe that's good simply because it then means that there's improvement to be made. You should know where you went wrong and try and make adjustments for the next game. The opposition is there is to do one thing...and that is not surprisingly to win, and not to cuddle and comfort the losers when they've been thorougly beaten. I don't remember my team getting comforted when we played football in school and getting thrashed 50 odd to next to nothing. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly all we got were extra and harder training sessions.
Is it embarrassing to lose 91-0? Sure it is. Not a doubt about it. But what parents need to understand is this...young adults need to lose to become stronger and better players. Having a close game is exciting, yes, but you can't always have games that will be close. There are going to be games that are lopsided. How long can a parent protect their children from the pain and the hurt that life and losing in football (or any sport) brings? They can't.
If a child is prootected from losing and/or losing badly then all it does is create an illusory picture of life for that child who expects that everything they do, they'll be winners and when they aren't or get whooped, the tears and tantrums will come simply because they don't know how to handle defeat.
My suggestion if a team is to lose badly, then let them lose badly. Chalk it up to experience and move on.
Life is all about learning and improving. Now if you play someone better and they whoop your backside, then maybe that's good simply because it then means that there's improvement to be made. You should know where you went wrong and try and make adjustments for the next game. The opposition is there is to do one thing...and that is not surprisingly to win, and not to cuddle and comfort the losers when they've been thorougly beaten. I don't remember my team getting comforted when we played football in school and getting thrashed 50 odd to next to nothing. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly all we got were extra and harder training sessions.
Is it embarrassing to lose 91-0? Sure it is. Not a doubt about it. But what parents need to understand is this...young adults need to lose to become stronger and better players. Having a close game is exciting, yes, but you can't always have games that will be close. There are going to be games that are lopsided. How long can a parent protect their children from the pain and the hurt that life and losing in football (or any sport) brings? They can't.
If a child is prootected from losing and/or losing badly then all it does is create an illusory picture of life for that child who expects that everything they do, they'll be winners and when they aren't or get whooped, the tears and tantrums will come simply because they don't know how to handle defeat.
My suggestion if a team is to lose badly, then let them lose badly. Chalk it up to experience and move on.
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