Competition is not just a part of growing up but also of our lives. Children should be taught how to compete. Many children learn things faster than others. A child who can catch onto maths and science faster might not be able to hold a paintbrush.
Similarly, completion is a big part of sports too. Growing up children tend to find themselves in competitions against other students. Schools organise events, sporting tournaments or different competitions are part of every child’s life. It’s important to teach our children about the aspects of winning and losing. They need to learn what it takes to be a winner and how losing is not the end of the world.
How to be a good winner
1. Being a winner implies that you’ve worked hard at that stuff. You’re happy about it, and you’re ecstatic to show off. But this is where you’ll go wrong. Avoid being a show-off. There is absolutely no need to talk about your win more than necessary. Most people would know that you’ve won anyway.
2. Do not take the entire credit if it’s a team sport or event you’ve won. Nobody likes it if a team effort is discredited. So don’t give all the pats to yourself if it a team effort that got you this far.
3. It’s essential that you do not put anyone else down when you’ve won. Rubbing your win other people’s faces especially the person who has lost to you is something that you should refrain from. It’s a generic mean thing to do which should be avoided at all costs. It will at the end of the day make you look like the bad guy.
4. Be as modest about your win as possible. Being humble will do you no harm and only good. People would not appreciate a winner who is full of himself/herself.
5. Learn to thank people who congratulate you. Never say ‘I knew I was going to win’ or anything like that to people’s faces. Accept compliments, say thank you and move on. There is absolutely no need to make it negative.
How to not be a dissapointed loser
1. It may be disappointing to lose but always work with the motto that you will win some and lose some. It’s what life is all about, and it is going to be that way only.
2. Even if you lose the game, it’s important to know that you’ve worked hard and brushed up your skills. You have yourself a chance to compete and put your skills to the test. This is a lesson to be learned from and not a failure.
3. Do not ever throw a temper tantrum. It will make you look very bad in front of people. It’s the epitome of being a sour loser, and no one likes that. Avoid saying things like ‘it’s not fair’ or ‘you only won because.’ It will never change the outcome of the game, only make you look bad
4. If you’ve lost a sporting event, be gracious about it. There may be many people watching you. Congratulate the other team and shake hands with them if necessary. Don’t say anything negative and keep your remarks to yourself. Losing in sporting events can cause fights, and it’s not a good thing.
5. Lose a little steam off to your friends or parents. Make sure you do it in private. And remember that there’s no such thing as failure. It was an opportunity to learn and assess your skills for improvement.
