First, let’s get one thing straight. I approve of the Olympics in general. Higher, faster, stronger and all that. I understand how necessary it is to have an ideal to push for. It draws a lot of people into participating in sports, and into being spectators for sports.
However
It is the use to which this ideal is put that bothers me. Because there are three types of athletes:
- The Olympic ideal. These are the special few that actually make it. Or into the NFL, the NBA, or professional soccer.
- The ones that might make it. This is the small group of “almost the best,” and it’s worthwhile for them to put a great deal of effort into testing the waters. After all, they might make it. Of course, they may also destroy their bodies in the process of failing
- All the rest of us, who don’t have a chance. Like, about 99.99% of the population. We aren’t that talented and we don’t want to put out the extreme effort required.
The Nature of the Competition
And there’s where the problem comes in. We are not in competition, and we don’t want to be. But we’re inundated with the glorifying of the winners. And we aren’t the winners, So we’re the losers. And that’s all right for those of us who are confident enough in ourselves not to care.
But what about the others? When our whole media is swamped with the concept of winners and losers, and the effect is to the benefit of 0.01% of the population but to the detriment of huge numbers of the rest, then we’ve got a problem. And when Canadian Olympic athletes participate in a TV ad where the theme is “You can be like me,” we have real trouble. Because that’s a lie. We can’t be like them, and we shouldn’t feel less significant because of it. And many people do.
What Is the Goal?
In schools, the PE program is there for everyone. The objective is to influence children — all children, regardless of ability — to be active all their lives. And the elite attitude fostered by Olympic-style competition often runs counter to this.
Let’s say a school brings an Olympic athlete for a visit. The object, of course, is to enthuse the students (all of them, remember) to enjoy sports. But what’s the real effect? Keeping in mind the three sorts of humans represented in the average school. How do the students react, and who benefits?
- Future Olympians. In the school district where I taught, I know of one athlete in the past fifty years who made the London Paralympics. Just one. So the usefulness of bringing that Olympic athlete to any school to preach the Gospel of Winners affects basically nobody who is actually going to make it. And the system doesn’t even serve the Olympians that well. If you watched this year’s coverage, there are a whole lot of athletes who have discovered that they were in the wrong sport. Once they found a better match, they excelled.
- There are always a few who excel in sports: college scholarships, B-level sports teams, etcetera. So let’s say there might be 5 students out of the 400 kids sitting in the gym who will definitely benefit from the message. But remember, they’re not really going to make it. So this “You can be like me” message is a lie.
- And then there’s the other 395 kids sitting on the gym floor listening. Why are they there? To listen to a lie because the winners need their support. Most know it’s a lie, and basically file it away with all the other things that adults tell them that don’t apply to them.
- But there’s a sub-group. They’re the ones that believe the lie. “Yes, I could be a winner. But I’m not. Therefore I’m a loser, and it’s my fault.” Or worse, “I’m a loser and it’s somebody else’s fault.” And those students are definitely worse off because of the experience. They will actively avoid sports, and it won’t do their self-image any good, either.
A Better Message
I find myself in the unusual position of promoting a TV ad. Instead of the “You can be like me,” approach, I like the Usain Bolt slot for Peloton. The theme? “Nobody has to lose for everybody to win.” Novel idea. It’s a much more effective approach to aim for personal development than it is to aim for beating other people.
What Do We Need Instead?
Well, I know it isn’t half so exciting, but perhaps a little guidance in goal setting would be useful. Children need to know how to set realistic goals, how to measure achievement, how far to push before doing permanent damage, and how to adapt goals that aren’t working.
The pursuit of excellence for some doesn’t require a cult of winner worship for the rest of us. Knowing someone else is wonderful doesn’t motivate most of us to better ourselves, and it does more damage than we suspect to many of us. “Nobody has to lose for everybody to win.” A much better theme.
Next week: Part 2. Sports Motivation that Works.