No competition, the way of the future
By Evan Campbell
By Evan Campbell
All sports have the sore-loser; there is no question about it. But why do people continue to say inappropriate things when they lose? Is it possible that the world is turning over to everyone being a winner i.e. a tie? After the Divisional AFC playoff game between New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars with Jacksonville losing, a safety for the Jaguars, Reggie Nelson, said "He ain't all that … He's all right," putting down New England Quarterback, Tom Brady, who set the NFL record for the most completions in a playoff game with 26 of 28. However the passing is done short or long it still is a record, why say it was not that great? In Massachusetts certain soccer teams have banned keeping score in games with ten year old children. Question, don’t kids that age keep score no matter what? Yes, it is what they do. Have you ever played a sport and wondered what the score is, normally another teammate tells you. What are you doing, keeping score? Ah wait, you can’t do that because it shows that you are winning or losing. Sports are not the only problem when it comes to competition.
Some school districts have banned spelling bees, Honor roll, and even games that have a winner and a loser. Do not blame the school boards for it, blame the parents. Have your parents ever said to you ok, no matter what happens in this game or event that has a competition, that if you lose you’re not a loser but a runner up. Honor roll rewards the students that put forth great work; not puts down the students who do not care. Gym class has games that force students to exercise. Every class has a weak person and a strong person. The strong play games like dodge ball and the weaker students play games they feel is right for them. No one forces the students to play what everyone else plays. If you want to play for fun, then it is alright to do so, but the game is going to have a winner and a loser. But with anti-competition people out there like Alfie Kohn thinking that competition makes our children’s self-esteem weak, as he says “competition is to self-esteem as sugar is to teeth.” If you do not get it, it means is it is bad for anyone to have any involvement in a competition. Doesn’t it really make them weak?
Some of America’s famous people failed the first, second, and third time trying. Of course some succeed the first time, but why did those people fail? They did not beat out the competition or stand out above all the rest. We all know that President Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents this nation had; however he had to compete to gain an education when his parents were uneducated. He failed in school but he didn’t give up, he went on to self educated himself. But he didn’t stop there he went to try for a spot in the Illinois General Assembly but failed there too. But he didn’t give up. He went on to run for president. And he won to become this nation’s 16th president.
On the local front, seniors from Platte Canton High School will most likely apply to colleges that you want to attend, and regrettably you get rejected. What just happened? Ding, Ding, Ding, we have a winner. Competition is out there you can not get around it. So why should you hide from the very idea that is competition. Colleges look for those who stand out compared to the rest. Why ask that it is a wrong idea to have, because they would not want to spend money and time on someone who does not stand out from all the rest. Most of high school seniors plan to attend a higher education school. However some out there have A’s, B’s, and some C’s for grades, But the college will accept the A’s and B’s students before the C’s student. Well for that C student, most likely would feel horrible about the fact that they failed. Probably they will pick themselves up and go to the school that accepted them. Wake up after college, those who made it through will go into the nation’s work force and end up wanting a job. With your college degree gives a fighting chance, employers will judge between all the people applying for that certain job. Some lucky person will get the job while the others get the nice letter saying sorry you did not get the job. Winning and losing is apart of life so why shield yourself from it. Why get into the thinking of a tie when college, life, and sports have competition. Ending with a tie in meaning means no Football, Baseball, Hockey, Olympics, and no enjoyment of hey I’m better then you in your favorite activity. But it doesn’t stop there either.
Board games too would be affected too by this rash wave of anti-competition activists. Board games have a winner and a loser; it is a part of the way they work. In chess for example both sides try to capture the king. The side that does is the winner. If there is no winner or loser, then how do you play the game? A world without competition is a world without games, a world without people feeling good about them selves when they win. Competition is in our nature, our blood, and life. So to say competition is wrong for the human self, is just wrong.
