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I fully realize winning is important. If it wasn't the scorebook manufacturers
would be out of business.
But at what cost is winning worth it?
Read a story a week or so ago about a girls basketball team at a high
school down south that played to lose. They knew losing would pay
off in the long run, keeping them away from the better team standing
in their way of advancement.
The team was a good one so it didn't take people long to realize
what was going on. Officials noticed it too when bad passes were
made purposely and easy shots were missed.
In the long run the girls were penalized and several were suspended
from further play.
Question is what are we teaching our student athletes? I remember
the day when football lasted for six weeks, basketball all winter and
baseball all spring and summer. We played different sports and we
won some and lost some. In the end we learned about how to play
the sport to the best of our ability, made friends and developed life
skills.
I would be hard pressed to remember one score of a game except
one when a team stalled on us in basketball and we won 21-14.
In short, I remember playing, I remember the games and I remember
my teammates. I also remember those from other teams.
But I am hard pressed to remember the scores.
It wasn't that winning was not important but if we didn't win the
next day still came and we were still friends who did our best to support
each other.
That has changed today with specialization and a premium put on
the cost of winning.
I don't think that I can be convinced that positive experiences can
be found as often under that kind of arrangement.
I was once taught that winning is the result of learning the game
and playing it the right way. If that happens the wins will come often
enough.