Remember when you were a child? Was it all about the winning, or did you just enjoy going out and playing in the field with your friends?

Of all the children we’ve spoken to, a vast majority of them value friendship and fun above any other aspect of the game. Winning is not often a consideration for children, however it is often imposed upon them by overly competitive role models. This can create a massive conflict in a child’s set of beliefs and social rules. They’re so used to having fun, but all of a sudden in sporting events the parents and teachers bang on about results and winning. It’s often not even that the role models are wanting their children to succeed… it’s more often a personal victory.

Children want to have fun, but their loyalties are torn because the teachers and parents are figures of leadership, respect, and authority.  Their motives and reasons for being there are contentious. The children’s fun is sapped away as they begin to feel that they are there for the sole purpose of winning… a mere tool to the role model’s own victory! They become demotivated if they don’t perform to “the required standard” as set by their parents, and start to feel despondent when they have a “bad game”. The children then turn on each other, critical of their performances. All of this is because of the negative impact imposed upon them by the very people who are supposed to be setting positive examples.

Whether you’re a parent, spectator, teacher, or coach, you should refrain from exhibiting negative behaviour. Some of the children present may have personal difficulties, troubles in school, be victims of bullying, domestic abuse, or other such difficulties. Recreation and team/character building time should be for exactly that purpose alone – for the children to mix, have fun, forget about any other troubles in their lives, and to act like children.