Every bit of research on child wellness and development indicates that getting and keeping children involved in extracurricular activities, such as soccer, football, softball, baseball, and lacrosse (as well as many other activities), is one of the best ways to raise healthy, happy, socially adept, and emotionally sound children.
In fact, research from The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that “behavior learned in childhood influences adult behavior,” and youth involvement in sports “instills healthy habits and behaviors” in kids. Another study from the University of Michigan shows that kids who play team sports and engage in athletic activities tend to score higher on standardized testing and have better grade point averages than kids who aren’t involved in sports. The bottom line is that sporting activities benefit children in numerous ways.
The Impact of Removing Competition in Children’s Sports
However, in recent years, under the umbrella of political correctness, many sporting organizations have started rethinking competition. Some are asking whether scores should be kept in children’s sports. After all, if you eliminate the winning and losing aspects of athletics, then every child has the ability to “feel good,” and confidence will abound, right? If every child receives a trophy and sports are all about fun—not winning or losing—then no child will ever feel they aren’t good enough. This, of course, seems like the long-sought solution to eliminate any sense of failure from our children’s lives, promoting equality without effort. Correct?
Not exactly!
It’s one thing if you have a group of 4- and 5-year-olds playing tee-ball who likely don’t know whether they’re winning or losing. However, as children grow, they too understand the difference between winning and losing. They see the difference between those who give 100% and those who just show up to play. As with everything in life, where there are distinct winners and losers, children too develop the desire to win. They want to succeed, to be their best, to try harder, to excel. If you remove the reward for practicing and playing well (winning), you undermine the value of extracurricular sports.
This is just another chapter in the era of “soft” parenting, where no parent or adult dares utter the words “You lost” at an audible level, lest they damage the child’s psyche. The problem is that if children don’t develop the skill to excel, to work hard, and to see their efforts pay off through winning, they won’t feel motivated to work hard in other areas of their lives. And as every parent knows, when kids grow up in the real world, many things are about winning and losing. There are winners and losers. Adults don’t just show up for work or life hoping for a consolation prize.
One of the most beneficial lessons of athletic competition is that it teaches children to not just rest on their laurels. Sports—and winning, in particular—are strong motivators. Losing should feel disappointing, and the only way to know if you’ve won or lost is to keep score. If a team or child loses long enough, it will drive them to work harder and practice longer.
Certainly, the only focus in sports shouldn’t be whether a team wins or loses. Very young children shouldn’t be pressured to win or taught to see sports as a “win-only” endeavor. However, losing shouldn’t just be brushed off as “no big deal.” Losing teaches kids how to win. Losing should be a motivator to try harder, do better, and work more. This way, when a child does win, they can relish the fact that “practice pays off” and feel the elation of victory. If you never lose, you also never win.
Millions of children participate in competitions—whether it’s a baseball game, gymnastics meet, swim meet, soccer tournament, or another athletic venue. The only way to determine who wins and who loses is to keep score. Removing scores from athletic (or other extracurricular) activities doesn’t make children better off in the long run. While it might save a few kids’ feelings along the way, it goes against the values and life lessons learned from being involved in sports. And, while kids might enjoy getting a trophy they didn’t really earn, they are being taught entitlement and the misguided belief that no matter what they do or don’t do, they’re winners.
The reality is that the people who succeed and “win” in life are the ones who are willing to work for that success. A 12-year-old will always remember the feeling of winning a championship game or coming in first place at an athletic event. Holding onto that feeling of accomplishment becomes a driving factor in their life success. Similarly, losing and the disappointment that comes with it motivates people to WANT to win.
The University of Florida’s research report on the benefits of sports for children probably sums it up best. According to the report, clinical child psychologists said:
“All sports teams train and practice for particular goals. For example, basketball teams practice layups, free throw shots, and dribbling drills. All of these are done with the intention of improving before a game. The team’s goal is to win the game or get better at the sport. Sports demonstrate the importance of setting goals and working towards them. Goal-setting skills will help children work toward other achievements in their lives.”
If a child never loses, what kind of goals will they develop?
If a child doesn’t learn what it takes to win, how will they make improvements in their life?
If scorekeeping is abolished, in the interest of making athletics nothing but fun and games, what incentive do children have to practice, play harder, or improve?
And, if the notion of losing is removed from a child’s life, what will happen when they grow up and become adults and realize that the playing field of life is not level?
In the end, life is not all fun and games. When children learn how to win and how to lose at a young age, athletics become a beneficial foundation for life.
