Her parents were sitting in the den when her coach dropped her off at home. This lead her to start thinking she had not done her best, and finally she concluded that her win was probably a fluke. The end of winter signals the beginning of a lot of competitive athletic events for children - baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf and swimming, to name a few. Fantastic opportunities exist for children to exercise, meet and make friends, learn teamwork, gain confidence in themselves, learn how to be good winners and good losers, learn to follow directions and, perhaps most important of all, have fun. Good equipment is certainly a necessary component of any successful sporting endeavor, and good coaching is also a very important part of the child's experience in athletics.
Competition can be a wonderful experience for children.
However, when the competition is viewed too seriously by parents, and derogatory feedback results, children can develop unhealthy feelings toward themselves and future competitive events. Parents should carefully monitor their reactions and responses to ensure that the purpose of the game is for their children to have fun and build character. The purpose is not to teach children that losing a game makes them losers in all facets of life. Positive regard and unconditional love comes from careful parental nurturing and guidance that will help children succeed in life and develop healthy attitudes. Copyright 2001 Cox News Service.