tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post5937772805010202418..comments2024-02-16T16:21:50.210-08:00Comments on bigBADbobby.blogspot.com: Is it about playing or winning?Robert Zameeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09047236340766447992noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-51710660917932186512009-07-16T07:46:53.323-07:002009-07-16T07:46:53.323-07:00I'd like to reply objectively this morning; no...I'd like to reply objectively this morning; not in reference to my nephew or any other specific child.<br /><br />When Anony Mous says that it should be about both "playing" and "winning," well of course it should! I don't believe that we live in a black and white, this or that, on or off, either/or world. It's not as simple as that. The world is made up of shades of gray. The world is a dial, not a switch.<br /><br />My concern lies in this statement, "Well, if I'm not going to win, then I don't want to play." There is a lost concept in there somewhere; the lost concept of improvement. If kids won't play video games, real games, study, etc. because they know that someone else is better than them, then we are in a whole bunch of trouble. Playing and winning MUST both be part of the equation because that is how you measure the hard work that you've put in... did I work hard enough to win? No? Then I need to work harder. Did I work hard enough to win? Yes. Then I need to keep working that hard.<br /><br />Enjoy the hard work and the evaluation... that's what I feel we need to impart emphatically.Robert Zameeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09047236340766447992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-81675350685249688302009-07-15T20:41:35.663-07:002009-07-15T20:41:35.663-07:00Having worked in a place that used Gallup personal...Having worked in a place that used Gallup personality tools, I no longer see it as either/or. It's BOTH. <br /><br />Some people are exceptionally talented at strategy, and your nephew may fall into this category. Others may be talented (and more rewarded by) physical activity. <br /><br />It doesn't have to be about what we SHOULD like. Your nephew likes one thing. You like another. Let it be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-38436773875385239142009-07-14T15:19:23.567-07:002009-07-14T15:19:23.567-07:00That's always the next question, "How do ...That's always the next question, "How do we create long-lasting change?" Today's kids, how do they learn? By listening? By doing? By example? <br /><br />We're talking about the Silent Generation, born in 2000 and more recent that'r following the Millenials--they're format for learning is experiential and exploratory. Who knows what it will be for the Silent Ones.Robert Zameeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09047236340766447992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-44564575432970818332009-07-14T15:09:35.055-07:002009-07-14T15:09:35.055-07:00Very nicely put. I agree. Now, how do we convey ...Very nicely put. I agree. Now, how do we convey that to our future children without them rolling their eyes at us? <br /><br />About playing outside-not so bad when neaest neighbor is a mile away, and you live in no-wheres IA. Which is why we were only able to play a two person game. The dog never quite caught on :)KShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716596957117399682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-45342979160615127122009-07-14T14:48:37.624-07:002009-07-14T14:48:37.624-07:00My friends don't let their kids run around out...My friends don't let their kids run around outside as much anymore because of all the bad people that could swoop them up. Unfortunate, but true.<br /><br />I definitely think competition is good and I don't think everyone should get a trophy that's going to end up in a landfill sooner or later. Competition breeds motivation to improve. No doubt about it. But, when improvement is only about winning, then is that improvement worthwhile? I'd have to say, "No." Improvement has to be about being a better person because of your failures and successes; you can only test your improvement on the field, win or lose, and that is why you play... for the enjoyment of the game itself and what it teaches you.Robert Zameeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09047236340766447992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-36502727909909397652009-07-14T14:08:12.994-07:002009-07-14T14:08:12.994-07:00To add to that: It seems like it is hard enough to...To add to that: It seems like it is hard enough to get the kids outside. When I was growing up, we LIVED outside. My sister and I would play our own softball game-just the two of us with our old farm dog.<br /><br />We didn't have video games, cable. Didn't watch a lot of TV. We just loved being outside and riding bikes, exploring the magic of the farm.<br /><br />I don't really know how to phrase my next thought, so I will just wing it. I think competition is good-it can defiantly go over board, but what happens when it isn't there at all? Specifically in little kid sports. Is it good to give everyone a trophy/ribbon for participation? <br /><br />I have heard parents comment on their smaller children’s little town leagues where they don't play by score. Game lasts one hour, and then go home. No winners, no losers. Is this what we want?<br /><br />Competition: is it the act of the game and playing the game, or is it an attitude about the game and play?KShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716596957117399682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-81208049907399867592009-07-14T07:27:09.094-07:002009-07-14T07:27:09.094-07:00I've played soccer my entire life and even whe...I've played soccer my entire life and even when we win by forfeit, we always put together a pick up game with however many players are still around and <i>play</i>.<br /><br />Karrie hit on my concern... in this world of instant gratification that we've created, winning at all costs has also become a real desire; the pleasure is in the outcome and not the activity itself.<br /><br />Finish the book, beat the video game, win the championship... I don't have kids, but it seems that's what we are teaching and I'm not sure how to incite massive change when all the other parents in the neighborhood are emphasizing the win.Robert Zameeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09047236340766447992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-55770345118729157282009-07-13T18:10:57.552-07:002009-07-13T18:10:57.552-07:00Playing, of course. I would much rather play and w...Playing, of course. I would much rather play and win than forfeit. Although, during a few town softball games, when the forfeit was the only game we won-won't lie-felt ok. :)<br /><br />It seems like we are afraid to let children lose or fail. We all want the best (I have no children, so I am going on what parents I know say) for the kids, and it hurts us when they lose. Why is that? Don't we all need to know how to "lose with dignity and win with grace", as Amy said. But how do they children learn that now? <br /><br />Competition in relationships-is there ever really a winner? Shouldn't you both be on each other's team?KShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716596957117399682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642678.post-91079474401822380062009-07-13T12:26:06.531-07:002009-07-13T12:26:06.531-07:00I grew up with competition as I was a 4-H kid for ...I grew up with competition as I was a 4-H kid for 11 years. But I think what it taught me was to lose with dignity and win with grace. I loved it when I went home with the blue ribbon, but I learned more about myself when I didn't.<br /><br />The other problem is that people that only want to win have a tendency to change the rules to benefit them - especially in relationships...Amy Shropshirehttp://amyshropshire.weebly.comnoreply@blogger.com