Competitive urge to win

JT_Texas
JT_Texas Posts: 9
in Chit-Chat
Parents of students at North Hill Elementary in Rochester Hills, Michigan, have reportedly been informed that all students are “winners,” therefore the “competitive ‘urge to win’ will be kept to a minimum” at the school’s annual field day.

The purpose of the day is for our school to get together for an enjoyable two hours of activities and provide an opportunity for students, teachers and parents to interact cooperatively. Since we believe that all of our children are winners, the need for athletic ability and the competitive “urge to win” will be kept to a minimum. The real reward will be the enjoyment and good feelings of participation.

Personally if my kids were in this school I would pull them out because they go against my beliefs. There are winners and losers and I wouldn't want these teachers around my kids.

Your thoughts?

Replies

  • DBoone85
    DBoone85 Posts: 916 Member
    EVERYBODY should get a trophy.

    ~pukes~
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    i think adults are going about this the wrong way. they should not be teaching kids that they are all winners. they should be teaching them that it's okay to lose. learning to lose is necessary in life because it will happen to everyone at some point. If you are spoon fed that you are a winner no mater what, then losing can be devastating. if you are taught that losing happens and you just try to do better next time, and it's a part of life - then you kid well-rounded kids that grow up to be well-adjusted adults.

    that's my opinion, anyway.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
    Ridiculous.

    There are winners and there are losers. Period.

    Like Wolverine66 said adults are not teaching children anything about life if they are always winners. It just doesn't happen in real life and when they do lose at something they will be devastated. What happens when they go for an interview and they don't get the job? There is no "consolation" prize for not winning the job they wanted. What about when they lose a bid or don't get a major account? The boss isn't going to pat them on the head and say "Oh, it's okay that you lost the company millions of dollars! Here's a bonus because you're a winner!"

    Losing teaches kids to try harder next time.

    And there is absolutely nothing wrong with being competitive. I am super competitive and it's what drives me to do my best and if I lose then I know to kick it up a notch next time and do better.
  • Sinisterly
    Sinisterly Posts: 10,913 Member
    All I've got to say about that... When a daddy and a mommy love each other very much and it comes time to make a baby, there's only one winner. (A lot of the times LOL).
  • crohnsfighter
    crohnsfighter Posts: 689 Member
    You can still make a child feel good even though they didn't win a competition. Getting a "Winning" trophy is great for whoever won, but I wouldn't necessarily call the last place a loser, nor would I give them a "participation reward".

    The winner truly deserves the credit, but the others deserve some positive encouragement to not give up, rather than receiving the same treatment that the winner worked so hard to achieve.

    Otherwise, you're going to have the slacker kids in group projects that coast along without doing any work, and get the same grade as the ones who do all the work. Do you want to raise a generation of THAT? Personally, I'd like to avoid a generation of slackers.
  • Go_Mizzou99
    Go_Mizzou99 Posts: 2,628 Member
    We are making a whole generation of "tea-cup children" Their self esteem is so fragile since they always win, that when they hit "the world and real life, they simply break.

    http://wwword.com/2106/words/new-word-expression/teacup/
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
    I have been told that my brother and I are insufferable to compete with at board games. We discussed it and came to the conclusion that "playing for fun" isn't. WINNING is fun. So, we're pretty competitive. Not everyone wins. That's life. Winning means a hell of a lot more when it isn't just handed out to everyone, too.

    That said, I do appreciate a Finisher's Medal at a race. I don't think there's anything wrong with commemorating participation. The big trophy goes to the winner, and everyone else just gets a keychain. Maybe that's just because I am not likely to win an actual race anytime soon - I never said I wasn't a hypocrite. (I do try not to be, though - FWIW.)
  • lisatrish
    lisatrish Posts: 123 Member
    You can still make a child feel good even though they didn't win a competition. Getting a "Winning" trophy is great for whoever won, but I wouldn't necessarily call the last place a loser, nor would I give them a "participation reward".

    The winner truly deserves the credit, but the others deserve some positive encouragement to not give up, rather than receiving the same treatment that the winner worked so hard to achieve.

    Otherwise, you're going to have the slacker kids in group projects that coast along without doing any work, and get the same grade as the ones who do all the work. Do you want to raise a generation of THAT? Personally, I'd like to avoid a generation of slackers.
    ^^^^
    This - no slackers please!
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    THIS is where kids these days get that whiny, self-important, entitled "special snowflake" mentality. Nothing is earned, nothing is worked for. Senses of accomplishment and pride are done away with, and replaced with "gimme gimme" and "I deserve it".

    It disgusts me. No kids of mine will attend schools like that, ever.
  • trojan_bb
    trojan_bb Posts: 699 Member
    They aren't all winners and most of them will not grow up to be winners. Better to learn that through trial and error now. They certainly won't have a snowballs chance in hell to be a future winner if their loser educators tell them they are all winners every day from ages 5-18, all the while never actually competing and losing and trying again.
  • NerdySamoan
    NerdySamoan Posts: 78
    Losing humbles you, it makes you envious of those who won, you learn more about yourself and when you become self aware of your weakness and truly work at it. When you finally achieve winning status, then you will understand what being a WINNER really feels like and appreciate it more
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    Otherwise, you're going to have the slacker kids in group projects that coast along without doing any work, and get the same grade as the ones who do all the work. Do you want to raise a generation of THAT? Personally, I'd like to avoid a generation of slackers.
    I feel discriminated against!

    I'm not a big fan of this "urge to win" bull****. You choose your objectives in life, prioritize them and identify how to optimize your success in them according to their level of priority. What others do is largely irrelevant.

    That is, IMO, what they should be teaching kids : dispassionate efficiency.

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