Is Winning Everything?
Kevin Kinder:
Kevin Kinder is a staff writer and photographer for the Blue & Gold News and the publisher of BlueGoldNews.com. A 1984 graduate of West Virginia
University, Kevin holds a minor in philosophy, which he drew upon heavily
for his response.
Is Winning Everything?
You might be surprised to hear this answer coming from the publisher of a sports website, but the answer is ?no?. Those that know me would probably be surprised with that response as well, because I hate to lose. Passionately. (If The Question was: ?Can You Be A Good Loser?,? I?d fail miserably.)
But that?s not the question, and fortunately for me, the answer to the one posed here is an easy one. As a competitor, a recreational league coach, and an interested observer of athletics, I have found a scoreboard can?t quantify all the results that come from competition. Although it?s de rigueur these days to laugh at notions of teamwork, sacrifice and dedication, the fact is that those lessons, along with many others, can come from competition.
This isn?t confined to the world of athletics, either. A chess grandmaster, a gardener, a chef ? anyone that competes to better themselves ? can realize those benefits without winning a competition. In fact, they don?t even need to enter a formal contest in order to improve themselves and their crafts.
I certainly don?t want to appear as if I?m going all New Age here. I don?t think Johnny or Susie are going to be crushed emotionally if they lose a competition, don?t get picked for the basketball team, or get a boo-boo on their leg from playing dodgeball on the playground. Everyone in the league shouldn?t get a trophy just because they showed up to play. There should be rewards for winners that aren?t available to all ? that?s the purpose of the competition in the first place. However, that doesn?t make winning the be-all and end-all ? just a very important part of it.
In the film The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi explains a point to his protégé with the simple proclamation, ?All life balance, Daniel-san.? His point couldn?t be more applicable here. Anytime one aspect or benefit gets elevated over others, problems can result. Those that put winning above all else, or de-emphasize it so it holds no meaning at all, are putting things out of balance. Perhaps a trip to Mr. Miyagi?s house could get them back on the beam.
Kevin Kinder
Publisher
BlueGoldNews.com
