What are sports about? Follow

Why play sports? What should s...

Why play sports? What should sports be about?

The way that kids answer those questions seems to change depending on their age. Younger children will say it is “to have fun!” whereas older kids seem to be much more concerned with external rewards, such as scholarships, “success”, and status. 

A kid playing sports is shaping their brain and attitudes for the rest of their life, thereby influencing the culture of sports in the future. Playing sports is about having fun, but it is also much more than that. It is about making you a stronger person; a person who is better psychologically equipped to handle life’s challenges. Sports have so many rewards.

The reason kids play sports will inevitably change, because as kids grow up they are contending with different developmental challenges. In the ages 4-5, for instance, sports being just about “having fun” is appropriate as kids at that stage are simply exploring what they can do with their bodies with minimal self-consciousness. This is the “play age”.

But as kids progress to the next developmental stages, the personal meaning and self-consciousness connected to what they are doing becomes increasingly pronounced, to the point where perceived successes and failures in the adolescent years refer directly to the question “who am I?”, a deeply meaningful question indeed!

We may not be able stop that transition from happening. However, we can influence the way that kids define success and failure. When sports are about external rewards - such as scholarships, “success” and status - that is when kids are vulnerable to being psychologically hurt.While many coaches and parents have learned how to frame sports as being about “character development”, they pervert the message by making character development as a means to an end (e.g. “winning”), rather than an end it itself. Kids internalize that message, and become hyper-focused on outcome. #Fail. 

But if it’s no longer primarily about having fun, nor is it about external rewards, what should sports be about?

Join the discussion about "What Should Sports Be About?

**This article is a working document by the Renvision#Rethinksports organization that is committed to ensuring a positive future for all sports and athletics.

"Get all the players to give t...

"Get all the players to give their all."

​Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden is high on everyone's list of great coaches because he managed to get people who were not as talented as their opponents to nonetheless win. "Wooden's objective was to get all the players to give their all," Dweck said. "Too much emphasis on winning without team spirit is a losing strategy. It's like a company that looks good on Wall Street but actually is unhealthy. 

Psychologist Carol Dweck

Thinking about Sports - Part 5 | Stanford University