Indoctrinating kids into altruism through sports

[SapereAude]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Down-syndrome-football-player-scores-TD-in-Washi?urn=highschool-272803

Have been seeing a ton of articles like this in the past couple years. This actually isn't the worst case (they allowed the team to score but did not deliberately lose). It is becoming very common to see "feel good stories" about school sports teams allowing opposing players to score because they're handicapped or because someone in their family is sick and so on, and even worse- sometimes deliberately throwing games.

What would be your response to someone who thinks this is a good thing?

Usually the argument is that it is only a game and making someone feel better about themselves is a greater value than the result of a game.

[JASKN]

What would be your response to someone who thinks this is a good thing?

Depends on the person and the situation, but generally I would point out that it does no one good to fake being a loser; "doesn't reflect the truth," false sense of elation and all that. It sucks that the kids are handicapped, but, especially in this case, if it ever does dawn on them that they scored illegitimately, the resulting feeling is going to be (rightfully) negative, maybe seriously so out of comprehension difficulty.

[Dante]

Do the adults involved think they're doing the handicapped kids any favors by conveying to them the message that they can coast through life on their disabilities?

[JayR]

This is a pefect concrete example of the riduculous nature of altruism. What these kids are being taught is, being pitied is the moral equivalent of being respected. Not only that, the handicapped children are being taught, no use trying to gain respect, pity is good enough for you. I cant imagine a worse feeling than to know that people feel sorry for me. Take this code of morality to its logical conclusion, and everyone should just slit their wrists right now.

j..

[OCSL]

There is only one comment out of the first 50 that recognizes the problem with this (on the site the article was posted). Being handicapped sucks, but by allowing him to score they are basically saying to him he will never succeed unless people have pity on him. Yeah, it might have a positive effect in high school if he never finds out the reason he constantly runs 50 yard touchdowns with 10 seconds left in the game but in the real words it will have quite the opposite effect.

[SapereAude]

Not only that, the handicapped children are being taught, no use trying to gain respect, pity is good enough for you. I cant imagine a worse feeling than to know that people feel sorry for me.

That is what strikes me as completely horrific.

If the kid functions well enough to be in high school he's fairly functional.

Imagine the day when he realises that the proudest moment of his life was a moment faked for him by people who pitied him.

And then equally as awful... that the other kids on his team are being taught that the kid couldn't possibly do something to earn respect by himself.

All in all, I think they are teaching a horrible way to view the handicapped.

[Novistador]

If the kid functions well enough to be in high school he's fairly functional.

I don't know about that, at least in Canada, I'm pretty sure that as long as you don't require constant hospitalization, you can attend a public school, regardless of what mental or physical state your in.

I've seen people in my high school that I'm sure haven't progressed in a meaningful way since the age of about 7.

[Hairnet]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Down-syndrome-football-player-scores-TD-in-Washi?urn=highschool-272803

Have been seeing a ton of articles like this in the past couple years. This actually isn't the worst case (they allowed the team to score but did not deliberately lose). It is becoming very common to see "feel good stories" about school sports teams allowing opposing players to score because they're handicapped or because someone in their family is sick and so on, and even worse- sometimes deliberately throwing games.

What would be your response to someone who thinks this is a good thing?

Usually the argument is that it is only a game and making someone feel better about themselves is a greater value than the result of a game.

It may be annoying but I don't think it is much of a sacrifice to let someone win like that because the victory itself isn't really worth attaining. "I beat a mentally ill person at a complex and physically exhausting game" is not something I would be proud of thinking or saying (although I wouldn't ashamed either).

I would say that if children with mental retardation (or any mental illness that allow for sports play) should have their own league instead of being a pity member of a league or try to have them learn how to play competently.

I think games are a good thing whether or not they are table top (gambling, wargames, chess, board games), field games, or computer games. Games are a good way for people to do something intellectually stimulating (as long as they are indeed allowed to that, not all sports provide that sense of strategy).

I think Edith Hamilton (maybe someone else) wrote about how the Greeks were known for how many games they had and how often they played them. During a certain period of history they even banned war across the peninsula so they could have the Olympics. It is a mark of civilizations.