School Track & Field - Winners & Losers?

[Ryan Salo]

have fun and also along the way learn sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

That's the key.

Joe,

How do you teach kids how to win and lose if there are not any winners or losers?

[Jay Foran]

My 3 kids participated in yesterday's track and field day at Lincoln. I have one in 5th grade, one in 4th grade and one in 1st grade. My wife volunteered to help during both the morning and afternoon sessons.

My kids are as competitive as they come. My oldest plays premier soccer, travel baseball and both recreation and travel basketball. The middle one plays travel soccer and recreation softball. The little guy plays travel soccer and recreation baseball.

Despite their competitive experience and DNA, they LOVE Lincoln's track and field day. In anticipation, they chattered about it for weeks. The event hasn't changed during our five years at Lincoln.

When I returned home from work yesterday they bubbled with stories about who dropped the water balloon, or how they fell down giggling during the two-man race or how they got a stitch cramp when they ran the 1 mile run. I wish I got that much detail when they return from one of their travel games.

Not a sliver of disappointment at not receiving a "participation ribbon" or being asked to stand on a victory stand. Good old-fashioned fun! During a recent dinner conversation my 5th grader said "track and field day" would the event he would miss most as he moved on to middle school.

Thanks Ms. Hazen, Lincoln teachers and parent volunteers.

[Kate McCarthy]

Yesterday was our last track and field day at Lincoln and I've never heard any complaints. My daughter checked the weather constantly in anticipation of the big day. I just assumed it was an event to mark the end of the school year at a time when, combined with beautiful weather, it's hard to keep your mind on your schoolwork. I always thought it was intended to be just plain fun, like a big family picnic.

I will miss Lincoln. The last eight years have flown by. I will always be grateful for the wonderful staff and families that make it such a great place to send your child to school.

[Dave Mechenbier]

Another positive outcome of Track and Field day. Although I wasn't there, I heard the kids assisted the differently abled kids in some of the events. I think that's great. Our son was excited about Track & Field before the event and still pumped up about it afterward. I just wish he could tell me more about his day. Yes, overall I think Lincoln is doing a great job.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

Does getting a ribbon or plaque or trophy mean you won or lost?

What we should be teaching our kids is that no matter what you get in return for your efforts, the feeling of doing something positive, good and achieving is what really counts.

The first place winner gets an award, and so does the second placed runner...third...fourth...fifth.

Does that mean that if the second, third, fourth, fifth place winners get a ribbon they're winners too?

In the end, we have to teach kids that no matter how hard you try you might only place second, third, fourth or fifth at something. and that's OK. It should serve as a motivating experience to try harder next time.

So I'm not really bugged about the whole ribbons and plaques thing. At the elementary stage, parents should take the time to explain to their kids that you always have to try your hardest and sometimes you're not going to get a "good job, pal" or a ribbon in return for your efforts. Children have to learn at a early age that you do not always receive when you have given.

The feeling of trying and participating should be satisfying enough.

[Ryan Salo]

Ivor, that is odd, I thought you still had the participation ribbon you received when you were in elementary school. It is not just about getting rewarded it is about memories, and trying to achieve.

I am glad that Lincoln had an event, I would just like to see the extra mile put into it like grant does.

Jay - I am sure your kids had fun, mine did too. It was not a matter of fun, it was a matter of not doing their best as a school. You should take some time off work and attend both the Grant event and Lincolns and see if you see a difference.

I was most disappointed that Horace Mann stopped doing an event due to a minority of teachers. The other two middle schools still have them and I hope when the new schools are used next year both middle schools will have one.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

I do still have them, but where they are I couldn't tell you.

Just like the second place certificates in state and national competitions..and so on.

I learned this in sociology a few weeks ago. My generation depends on awards and feels like they don't accomplish anything unless they get something in return for their accomplishment.

What I would hate to see happen as the next generation of kids gets born is that this generation gets so dependant on recognition that it fails to participate in events, volunteerism and civic projects unless the reward is big.

Personally speaking, there's nothing I love doing more than putting smiles on others faces. It's the ultimate reward. And the memory is everlasting.

Mr.Salo you're right. It is about memories. But as a learning developing not completely mature teen I remember the times where my parents or older individuals taught me lessons about life, the good and bad. Those memories outweigh which place I placed in at the McKinley track and field races by a ton.

Track and Field day is important though. It's a day where students get a break from the classroom mentality and are allowed to be kids. Everyone has a reason to smile, and if anyone gets recognized on that day it should be everyone. The lessons that can be taught on that day are far more important than a ribbon. Teaching kids motivation and hard work will only make our futures better

[Jay Foran]

Ryan - I appreciate your suggestion. However, I don't feel the need to see another school. I am totally satisfied with what we have at Lincoln. Most importantly, my kids are the ones that are satisfied with their track and field experience at Lincoln. I don't believe they or the school are being shortchanged.

[Ryan Salo]

Jay

I am shocked to read your post. I am sure that when you were helping to design the new school system you looked at how other were doing it. You folks did a fantastic job planning the new schools and I think we could learn a lot by looking at how other schools do things. Are we striving to be satisfied or are we striving for excellence? Should we always do things because that is how we have done them in the past or should we always try to improve?

I have been extremely "satisfied" with Lincoln so far. All of the teachers my kids have had are great, and the principal is so involved she is even outside at the beginning of school with the kids. I am very impressed, I just think we always need to be looking for ways to improve. I am always amazed that people think that those that are looking for areas to improve are being "negative".

[Dee Martinez]

I think between our various rec, interscholastic and independent youth sports programs there is ample opportunity for kids to learn about competition and the realities of winning and losing. And I dont have any problems with kids learning those realities.

The fact remains though that American suburban life over the last 50 years has totally changed childhood and many of our kids just dont get the physical activity. ANYTHING we can do to make that pleasurable and non-threatening is to our benefit.
There will be kids who just aren't athletic. They will ALWAYS "lose." And those who consistently lose generally avoid the endeavor (don't you?)
Some kids who will never win a race can spank the jocks at video games. So there's "winning" and "losing" for you. The difference is that we dont have a public health interest in developing video game skills.

Sports fans like me know that besides competition there has to be a level of fairness to competitive sports. High schools are broken into divisions. Ohio State doesn't play Tri-C. The Cleveland Indians are in a different league than Akron-Canton. Even at the elementary school level the differences in bodies and abilities are pronounced. Why should Benny Brain be forced to go toe-to-toe with Joey Jock?

Athletic competition and all its realities are great for those who are inclined to participate. Non-competitive events that stress the benefits of pure participation are something else entirely.
Sorry for rambling on this. Coffee.

[Ryan Salo]

So should Grant, Emerson and all the other schools currently doing a real track & field, with real events and ribbons, stop doing it?

From my experience there were not any "losers" that stopped participating, it was a fun day and everyone got to learn new events in the weeks prior.

[Jay Foran]

Ryan...again, I am familiar with competition. See my first post and all the competitive activities that my children participate in. If it helps, I played college baseball and my wife (who volunteered that day) swam competitvely in college. We have both worked in a highly competitive workplace for years. Like I said, competitiveness is part of the family's DNA.

Lincoln's T&F day is set up as an end of the year fun day. We enjoy it that way and hope it does not change. Many others seem to enjoy the format as well.

I think it is great that Grant and the other schools do their own thing. If they want, they should continue to do their thing.

[Dee Martinez]

So should Grant, Emerson and all the other schools currently doing a real track & field, with real events and ribbons, stop doing it?

From my experience there were not any "losers" that stopped participating, it was a fun day and everyone got to learn new events in the weeks prior.

I'm unclear on the notion of what "real" track and field is but I believe the decision should remain in the hands of principals and teachers, who are in the best position to know what will work best with their respective populations from year to year.
The overall concern I have is that, with a childhood obesity epidemic that is so alarming, we provide as much opportunity for physical activity as is practical in as positive an environment as possible.
Ribbons just aren't the point.

[Joe Ott]

Joe,

How do you teach kids how to win and lose if there are not any winners or losers?

Ryan. Not sure what you are getting at. I was agreeing with Dee.

It's simple really. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. It will happen your entire life. Learn from it. Get over it. Move on.

[Ryan Salo]

If Lincoln called it an end of the year fun day, I would not have even started this blog. They called it track and field, Grant and Emerson and I am sure other schools actually have events that are in the Olympics. The ribbon are just part of it. I guess I was just surprised that some schools go all out and others do not.

Jay I guess you are missing my point about the competitiveness. I am glad you and your family are competitive, and I am sure you are teaching your kids to always do their best. I just know plenty of children who unfortunately have parents that don't encourage their children to get better at anything. The track and field events that other schools do prepare the kids by teaching new sports, then let the children pick ones that they feel they are best at and then perform to the best of their ability on track & field days. For some kids, whose parents do not get them involved in activities outside of school, this may be the only structured sporting event of the year.

Joe - what I was getting at was that at the Lincoln event the teachers and most of the adults didn't even tell the kids who won 1st 2nd or 3rd in an event, even if they asked. They were just supposed to run around the cones, or run back and forth, etc.

I am most disappointed in Horace Mann that has canceled the event all together. Can we at least agree that this sort of either fun day or track and field day should be part of every school??