Competitive team sports can help children learn about teamwork and goal setting, and are good for children’s self-esteem.
However, there is an unhealthy aspect of sports competition that puts pressure on children and takes the fun out of the game. Unhealthy competition is focused on winning and being better than others at any cost.
You can promote healthy athletic competition in children by:
To be a role model. Are you the parent screaming from the sidelines or facing the referees? If you want to shout at a match, make sure it’s encouraging and sports-themed: “Good move” or “Well done!”
Focus on the positives. When you’re on your way home after the game, discuss what your child did well, not what he did wrong or who won or lost.
Avoid comparisons. Comparing your child to the star player on the team for improving their game will make them feel inferior. Also avoid telling your child that he has done a better job than someone else to boost his ego.
Listen to your child. Organized team sports are not for everyone. Let your child choose the activity that he will get the most pleasure from.
Wolfgang Schadler, who has been the head coach of the US national luge team since 1986 and will once again compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics, sums up athletic competition perfectly: “Victory is not defined by wins or losses. It is defined by effort. If If you can honestly say, “I did my best, I gave my all,” you are a winner.