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Assignment 6 (Case Problem)

The document discusses how an overly competitive environment can negatively impact children's development both in the short and long term by increasing the risk of injury, ego deflation, and unhealthy attitudes if the focus is solely on winning rather than skill mastery. It recommends that recreation directors and others in leadership roles foster an environment for children's sports that emphasizes self-reflection, cooperation, and fair play over aggression and winning at all costs to deliver positive developmental experiences from competition.

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ybrikzerep
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751 views

Assignment 6 (Case Problem)

The document discusses how an overly competitive environment can negatively impact children's development both in the short and long term by increasing the risk of injury, ego deflation, and unhealthy attitudes if the focus is solely on winning rather than skill mastery. It recommends that recreation directors and others in leadership roles foster an environment for children's sports that emphasizes self-reflection, cooperation, and fair play over aggression and winning at all costs to deliver positive developmental experiences from competition.

Uploaded by

ybrikzerep
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Student: Perez, Kirby P.

Date Submitted: August 25, 2020


Course: Child and Adolescent Development
Assignment 6 (Case problem)

1. How would you respond to Jeanie’s query about how an overly competitive context could affect
school-age children, both in the short and the long term?
2. What is the role of a recreation director in this situation? How might people in leadership roles
approach parents, coaches, and players to change the overall tone of the game?

Competition is a social process. How a child interacts with and interprets competition depends
on the biological and social changes that they are going through. Competition is necessary and essential
and part of every child stage of development. Children will be better off when they are trying to win and
when they are confident and their motivation is not just to win, but to achieve mastery of certain skills or
knowledge. But is all competition a good thing or there are bad things also? How can we distinguish
between helpful competition and that which may harm children?
Our case study examined Jeanie who is reflecting the effects of competition to children playing in
the soccer field with their respective parents and coach. Kids were pressured to win and parents were
being over passionate and hostile to the opponents. A winning at all costs attitude can easily manifest into
aggressive behaviours, a loss of sportsmanship, and ultimately, cheating. There’s a greater possibility of
exhibiting these attitudes later on their adult life. Competition triggers injury because children’s intensity
peaks. When a child is underprepared physically, or is competing too much for their growing body to
handle, their likelihood of injury goes up dramatically. Competition is also ego deflating. The success of
one child or team causes the failure of another. This is more likely to happen when success is measured
solely on the competition outcome.
But winning doesn’t build a child’s character; it just lets a child gloat temporarily. Not everyone
can win a contest so if one child wins, another cannot. Competition leads children to envy winners, to
dismiss losers. As parents, coaches, teachers and recreation director in our case study, we must in-still to
children that competition can deliver both positive and negative experiences. The
competitive environment is critical. We should choose environments that focus on self-reflection and
mastery rather than winning, expert assistance rather than instruction, and inquisition rather than close-
mindedness. Thus, competitive environments are a big part of the sporting experience just like our case
study, yet they can impact development in both positive and negative ways. Cooperation is successful at
helping children to communicate effectively, to trust in others and to accept those who are different from
themselves. Children feel better about themselves when they work with others instead of against them,
and their self-esteem doesn’t depend on winning a spelling test or a soccer game. Furthermore when
students compete they will become more inquisitive, research independently, and learn to work with
others. They will strive to do more than is required. These abilities prepare children for future situations
of all kinds. Whether it’s applying to college or seeking a promotion, the ability to be competitive will give
them an important edge.
It is critical that parents and teachers work to teach kids valuable lessons from competition.
Winning or losing in a competition, children will learn, grow, and be better prepared for life, and provides
challenge and continual opportunities to play well with others and treat opponents with dignity and
respect.

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