Begin to WIN !!

Last week I went to see my child’s inter-school Netball fixture. The excitement of watching my child play was doubled with the curiosity of the game. The frenzy started with not 1 but 6 simultaneous mini matches which had parents running around the edges of the fence to see their child in action.

After patiently watching the first match, the Basket ball player in me woke up and I start shouting instructions while cheering them too. An hour of jumping, clapping and cheering ended with not necessarily the desirable results which obviously would be to WIN the game!

But later in the evening, I made no efforts to hide my disappointment… To which I received this response: “its not just about wining or losing,… its about having fun!!!!”

Having fun… having fun…. In an inter school fixture… ”NO-NO-NO” … I haven’t wrapped myself in multiple layers to the point I can barely twist and turn just for fun!

‘Learning a Sport’ can be ‘Just for Fun’.. but when you ‘Play a Sport’ (against another team)..your aim should be to WIN… you give it your best and in the process .. one learns to win and lose..gracefully .. Its all about accepting failure and recognising our weaknesses.. only to work towards improvisation for the future.

Resilience, competition, attitude, team spirit, collaboration etc etc these are all the heavy words we associate with sports but we need to instill these qualities within the character of our children very early on.

Sports is the only and one of the earliest ways to teaches children about competition whilst adhering to the rules simultaneously.

This not only helps them to Overcome failures but also appreciate others who have won, whilst understanding that one must never quit trying.

Another very important aspect we all learn from being a Sport is ‘How we deal with Success?’ Embracing our success with Pride but also with Humility.

During my Early Years experience, Sports Day was similar to a summer picnic…. Laying out mats, biscuit treats, water, juice and lots of cheering. Children clap and cheer for their peers, irrespective of ages and classes. On many occasions I have sprinted (competing against other colleagues) while holding hands of some children only to boost their confidence. The passion and belief children have in their friends and the cooperative effort they put in builds the seeds of sportsmanship early on.

Everyone cheers for the winners and participants alike but also the underlined message is put across that though we clap for participation….

We must always do our best,

Never quit

Try again

And accept that ….. only a few will take the prize home!!

In the meantime… I am still trying to figure out what are the rules of Netball to keep up the in house training! 

By

Anu Raina