This important topic traditionally has been filled with cliches. At one extreme is the belief that winning is the only thing. At the other extreme is the belief that the outcome is not important, everybody who tries out for a team makes the team and everyone participates. Reality is probably somewhere between these two extremes. The importance of winning has been considered by virtually every coach, parent, administrator and athlete involved in sports.
Clearly, there can be too much of an emphasis on winning. However, those who advocate the position that winning is not important often miss the point that without an attempt to win the contest, the activity is no longer sport. The essence of sport is trying to win. Without that attempt, the activity is of a different nature.
Regardless of our personal point of view on this subject, parents should emphasize to their daughter that while winning is an essential part of volleyball, her participation in an athletic program has many other complementary goals. A key point is to get your daughter to acknowledge that while winning is an important part of sport, it must be kept in perspective with the other valuable aspects of her involvement in an athletic program. Social development, fun, fitness, and learning a lifetime activity are a few goals that can be accomplished along with a successful season record.
The following are a few points of emphasis when considering the importance of winning in any athletic program.
WINNING BUILDS CONFIDENCE
Winning does build confidence especially when that winning represents a true accomplishment.
WINNING GAINS ONE ACCESS TO REWARDS AND SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
Clearly winners and highly skilled athletes often get more recognition, greater prestige, more rewards, trophies, local TV and media coverage, and perhaps even a scholarship. However, in our volleyball program, the coaches will continually be watchful that the younger, less skilled and less experienced participants on the junior varsity and reserve teams are not denied fair access to the opportunity to learn and participate.
WINNING INCREASES IN IMPORTANCE AS CHILDREN GET OLDER
Before age 12, research has shown that team members would prefer to play for a losing team than sit on the bench of a winning team. During the teen-age years, won-loss accomplishments have a direct influence on the self-esteem of the participant.
WINNERS ARE THOSE WHO HANDLE FAILURE BETTER
There is often the belief that all those who are successful were successful throughout their careers. Actually, champions are often those who coped with their difficulties, set-backs, or losses better than their opponents.
WINNING DOES NOT ENSURE THE QUALITY OF THE PERFORMANCE
A team can perform well and still finish second. A team can perform poorly yet still win because the opponent also failed to perform well.
WINNING PROGRAMS IN SPORTS IS RELATIVE TO WHOM YOU PLAY
Winning can often depend more upon the level of competition than upon the performance level of the athletes. Pre-determined schedules, due to conference or league requirements, are clearly a primary determinant on the won-loss record of any school athletic program.
WINNING HOW WON, AS OPPOSED TO WHETHER WON
Winning within the boundaries of the rules and ethics of sportsmanship can place a great premium on winning. This will only enhance the basic sporting values of fair play and good sportsmanship that we want the participants to learn.
WINNING INVOLVES MATURITY
Winning in sports programs is most influenced by the athlete's state of physical and mental maturity. These two factors are more important than coaching, individual effort, or equipment.
As a final statement, I believe that "WINNING" is a community effort. Winning programs have a foundation based upon the all previous teams' failures and successes. In addition, the support provided by the coaches, administrators, parents and interested spectators all add to the community feeling that is needed to reinforce a participant's desire to do well, achieve performance goals, and win athletic contests.