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Ashamed of success

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When I think back to high school girls, I have to wonder if this is personal. The other team trounces you, then pities you and gives you something you didn't earn. I'd say that's rubbing salt into the wound. It's always so interesting to me to see the backfires of bad philosophy.

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I understand feeling a bit embarassed about running up a score. A win is a win and there's really no need to humiliate the opponent, at this level of competition.

So just apologize for the run-up, don't give it up!

In fact, as A=A pointed out, they've just made it worse--and also, by making sure the game made the national news so that everyone in the US can hear about it, far worse.

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"Dallas Academy has eight girls on its varsity team and about 20 girls in its high school. It is winless over the last four seasons. The academy boasts of its small class sizes and specializes in teaching students struggling with "learning differences," such as short attention spans or dyslexia."

I'm not saying they should give up the win - but it's not much of a victory, either.

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It's akin to beating up a retarded kid.

Not really. Intelligence only factors in so much to actual sports. Look at someone like Shaq. The guy is a huge idiot, but he is a great basketball player. He couldn't pass Kindergarten, but he kicks ass on the court.

This school was in the same league as these guys. I think it would be the responsibility of the other coach to forfeit the game. I mean, isn't that what a forfeit IS?

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Kind of brings up the question of what the purpose of sports is. I had numerous occasions while coaching youth soccer to address this. At times we would be scheduled to play a team we knew to be much better than us. Sometimes players would complain that they didn't want to play because they were sure to get killed. The following response was very effective.

"OK, we will cancel this game and play another team instead. Each of you players go home, get your grandmothers and bring them back here. We will have them organize themselves into a team and we will play against them. You will be sure to win then." No one would move.

This game was clearly a mismatch. The winning team did not prove much to themselves. However the loosing team proved much more to themselves, and probably learned a great deal more than they would have if the winning team had played with one hand tied behind their backs.

Again the real question is why do we participate in sports? There are specific reasons which add value to our lives, other reasons do not. I am certain that proving how humble we are fits into the latter category.

Paul

bootlegger of life

Edited by wilicyote
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I love the statement from the winning school: "It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition,"....

Of course, one is tempted to ask what the "Christlike" approach to competition actually is. Does one make a sincere effort to lose games where your opponent is obviously inferior?

If your opponent is superior, wouldn't beating him/her cause that person unbearable emotional distress? The morality of Christ is so darn confusing!

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I just don't understand.

I went to a Catholic junior high school, then a Catholic boys high school for one year. We were always brought through school with the ideology of excellence: doing your best, giving it your all. That was the way to do the most with what "God had given you". Making the most of yourself (selfishness) was "God like".

I'm not sure what this stuff came from. I'm not that old, but some things have changed.

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I just don't understand.

I went to a Catholic junior high school, then a Catholic boys high school for one year. We were always brought through school with the ideology of excellence: doing your best, giving it your all. That was the way to do the most with what "God had given you". Making the most of yourself (selfishness) was "God like".

I'm not sure what this stuff came from. I'm not that old, but some things have changed.

People finally realizing what Christlike means, maybe? Being a sheep, a slave for others to get their enjoyment from.

Also, I've noticed many Catholics are far more rational than a Protestant based private school. I'd have not much trouble sending my child to a Catholic school after inspection of it's curriculum. As long as they teach evolution, and don't require much religious posturing, then why the hell not?

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I'd have not much trouble sending my child to a Catholic school after inspection of it's curriculum. As long as they teach evolution, and don't require much religious posturing, then why the hell not?

Yeah, that was my experience.

Was hard too. I really had to suck it up to catch up to where everyone else was at compared to my public school education was. I remember very well Mrs Morrison sitting down with me and saying that I was going to have to sit down and really work to catch up. No space for special treatment. Do the work by working harder. That was my experience at least.

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There's something to be said about sportsmanship.

When i was in the 6th grade we had a soccer game against another school. Due to some clerical error, they got us playing against 3rd graders. Well, it was a massacre. Halfway through the first period we were winning 7-0 (that's like being 40 points ahead in the first quarter in football). We asked the referee tos top the game. It was a "friendly" game, meaning it had no standing or consequence in any sort of league.

The kids we were beating the pants off didn't want to stop. When we hung back to at least keep ourselves from scoring (it's no fun beating younger children), they got mad and demanded we play as though we cared.

Now, that was great sportsmanship on their side.

We wound up winning 15-0 (we did hang back and not score as much as we could). The younger kids were not happy, but seemed satisfied that they hadn't lost by more to kids twice their age and more than twice their size. They were satisfied they played as best they could. And I must say to their credit they dind't try to cheat more than is usual in such games (a couple of fouls, some off-sides, a hand to the ball or two).

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If the losing team is tired of losing, they could quit or do something different. Despite several losing seasons, in a row, the girls are still opting to play, so they must get some value out of it. The winning teams and coaches certainly shouldn't feel guilt or suffer over it.

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D'kian's story made me chuckle--I've always figured that's what sports really ought to be like. I'm not a competitive person by nature because it bores me to death. I'd rather go along at my own pace and enjoy the things that I want to enjoy out of playing a game or a sport. However, I remember times in volleyball when I had a lot of fun because we were just trying to score on the League Champions--in fact, we managed to win one game. Granted, they might have had their second stringers in, but a good time was had by all.

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I went to a Jesuit highschool in my home country, and although we had to take theology, the priests didn't seem too worried that they had an unbeliever (me) in their midst. We also had classes in Logic and Philosophy (obviously never mentioned Rand, but the classes were surprisingly balanced). In college (in the US), some of my peers came from protestant private high schools and I was shocked at some of the things they didn't know about, because my error was taking certain level of knowledge as standard high school level.

People finally realizing what Christlike means, maybe? Being a sheep, a slave for others to get their enjoyment from.

Also, I've noticed many Catholics are far more rational than a Protestant based private school. I'd have not much trouble sending my child to a Catholic school after inspection of it's curriculum. As long as they teach evolution, and don't require much religious posturing, then why the hell not?

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