Our contemporary society is undeniably competitive. From electronic games, sports, the internet, social media, to academic testing – students are continually positioned to compete with their peers. With the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympic Games, we pose the question – is competition a healthy component of school sports?
Students are provided with daily opportunities to compete. From large events such as school sports, cross-country running, athletics, and swimming carnivals, talent competitions, to the seemingly innocuous Premier’s Reading Challenge – students have become well-acquainted with the concept of winning and losing.
Over the years, however, the sporting industry has been removing competitive elements from many sports, deeming competitiveness harmful to young athletes.
In 2014 the Australian Football League Community (AFL) banned keeping score and awarding players for ‘best and fairest’ in under-10s football. This change was made in response to research led by Deakin University’s Sport Management Program which found that children learned more effectively and developed the skills necessary to properly play the sport when the competitive elements were removed. Moreover, it was held that a less competitive and intense culture better matched the age and maturity of the students, whilst also improving the students’ overall sporting development.
The AFL guide titled ‘This is Our Game’ set out the new rules: “No premiership points, no finals, no ladders, no match result (no score) and no names of players published.”
A similar approach was also taken in Net Set Go, a Netball Australia program, whose rules state that children between 8-10 years old playing club netball are no longer required to keep score. Scores may be kept, but no ladder is to be produced. Moreover, final matches should not be played and all participants should be given a memento of participation e.g. a medal. Netball Australia justified this decision by stating that children under-8 and under-6 drop out of sport earlier if they are playing sport where scoring is a rule.
Football Federation Australia defended these changes, stating that competitive environments cause children to feel frustration and anxiety, resulting in ego-orientated motivation where children begin comparing themselves to others.
Australian Sports Commission research boss, Paul Fairweather, states that the change will help sports retain more students, “what our research is saying is having fun and being with your mates drives them to go forward with a sport. A focus on fun rather than competition is a good thing.”
This belief is backed by a study by the Institution for the Study of Youth Sports which looked at the importance of winning from the child’s perspective. It found that while responses varied with gender and age, the majority of younger children ranked fairness, participation and development of skills above winning. The study held that emphasis on the importance of the final score narrows childrens' definition of ‘winning’, a mindset which is potentially damaging for young athletes.
The changes made by the AFL and Netball Australia have been the subject of much criticism over the years.
Sport journalist for The Australian, Simon King, slammed the changes, stating that competition pushes students to be better. According to King, students cannot learn to be good sports in games where losing is not an option. In an Essential Kids article, writer Nova Weetman also states that highly competitive children might benefit from competitive play as they are “more likely to be taught how to be good losers if they are actually allowed to lose, than if there is no scoring at all.” It has also been stated that where the benchmarks of achievement are wiped out, “the skill level will surely be diminished”.
In reinforcing the value of competitive play, Australian Sports Commission CEO, Simon Hollingsworth, writes about the benefits of competitive sport. He holds that competitive sport is not divisive - it alternatively fosters positive relationships and student camaraderie. While observing his daughter’s gymnastics class, Hollingsworth states that the emphasis is not on the judge or the score card, but on the connection the young students make as “they laugh, muck around and teach each other the finer points of technique”. While the odds are that none of gymnasts will become Olympic champions “it’s clear that children’s sport is about a lot more than just competition.”
Critics of the changes believe that students are mostly motivated by the social and fun aspects of sport, but the competitive element provides for additional skill acquisition and challenge. Competitive sport provides young athletes with well-defined and supported pathways for physical and emotional development and when properly managed, this can have positive effects on students’ physical and emotional well-being.
While it is an indisputably important discussion, the age-old debate over the value of competitive sport will not settle anytime soon.
Despite changes to the way junior sport is run in Australia, it is not, however, realistic to keep students out of competitive sports.
In light of this, schools can take positive steps to ensure that competitive sports provide students with both physical and social rewards - all without fostering a negative culture of divisiveness and over-competitive behaviour.
Emphasis on competition may cause students to disconnect from the game. When students feel that participating in sport is no longer fun or that they have lost ownership of their own sporting experience due to the demands of their coaches or team-mates, they can begin dropping out. Students also drop out when they are not given playing time, when they are afraid to make mistakes or when they feel disrespected. To address this, schools are advised to implement policies and procedures to advocate the value of diversity and inclusivity in organised sports. This will form part of the move towards a more accepting sporting culture; one which embraces students and promotes fun over competition.
Fostering a positive sporting culture in your school means having policies and procedures which:
The 2016 Rio Olympics is also an invaluable way of fostering student excitement and enthusiasm for organised sport.
The Fundraising Group recommends that schools host a ‘mini-Olympics’ as a way of getting students and even parents involved in a range of sporting activities.
To unite the school community, schools may open with an official opening ceremony, announcing the main teams as they enter the field. Schools may then run a series of game-day activities including races, long jump, high jump, discus, an obstacle course, tumbling and even wheelbarrow racing.
By embracing the Olympics in a fun and accessible way, schools can expose students to the positive ethos of the Olympics, that is, “friendship, respect and excellence”. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) also provides the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) toolkit which is a series of free and accessible learning resources which communicate the benefits of sport and physical activity through a series of Olympic-themed activities, teaching strategies and inspirational materials.
IOC President, Thomas Bach, emphasises that sport is not just a physical activity, “it also is an educational tool which fosters cognitive development; teaches social behaviour; and helps to integrate communities".
By implementing policies and procedures, as well as running events which unite the school community and foster widespread enthusiasm, schools can ensure that competitive sports have long-reaching positive effects on students’ physical and emotional well-being.