Tough Love?

People say sports help children grow.

Everyone should get a prize.

Less about who won,

and more about participating and building self-esteem.

But when did real accomplishment play second fiddle to self-esteem?

And when is self-esteem not earned worth anything?

And isn’t dealing with not winning already a win?

To tough or tough love?

I believe any form of competition helps children grow. While we want to acknowledge participation and recognize efforts, there has to be clarity on what it takes to achieve a real win.

Children will learn from failures and parents need not be too worried because they are more resilient than we think. Not winning allows to teach them grit, setting their eyes on the prize and working over time to achieve it.

It’s important kids understand that participation do not equate to winning because winning take a whole lot more and a different mindset.

I think sports is good for children because of the “sportsmanship” value which can build self discipline, resilience and respectful attitude within. It helps children prepare for the reality of life and build their tenacity.

Losing hurts, I know, but the pain doesn’t need to linger on. We all can be honest about what we could have done better, pick ourselves up, and move on to the next pursuit. Strong self-esteem can only be earned, not given. The biggest win in sports is the skill to turn losing a game into building another muscle for life. If they want to have a chance of winning in a fair game, they must be prepared for a chance of losing.

Tough love, yes. Too tough, no. It’s gonna be tougher for them to walk into adulthood with a sense that the world is fair and everyone win.

Some people love challenges. Some want history. Some want pride. Some are crazy.