During a game, the winning team gets to cheer more and, based on this single observation, seems to have more fun. But parents should consider the following questions before thinking that fun is only for winning teams.
- A team wins a game and afterwards a coach stands up and congratulates players on their hard work and accomplishments. When a team loses, what should a coach do?
- A team wins a game and afterwards parents congratulate their children on their efforts. When a team loses, what should parents do?
- A team wins a game and everyone goes out afterwards and celebrates player accomplishments. When a team loses, what should everyone do?
- A team has a winning season and afterwards the entire team gets together to remember memorable moments. When a team has a losing season, what should the team do?
The answer to all the above is "the same thing." Every game has a "scoring" outcome and every game has a "fun" outcome. As parents on winning teams often know, these two things are not related. The coaches and players may control the scoring outcome, but parents do control the fun outcome.