How to teach your children healthy competition

I have six boys, and they all play sports. As you might imagine, competition is part of everyday life in my house and a fun part of our family. If your children appreciate the value of healthy competition in the home and on the field, they’ll be better prepared for all aspects of life.

Kids need to know that competitive success involves hard work and lots of practice. No matter how talented someone is, they need to work at their craft to achieve their potential. Children should know that practice is a vehicle for introspection, for identifying their own strengths and weaknesses and addressing them in a systematic way. This thoughtful work ethic will serve them well in all aspects of life.

Kids also need to learn respect for fair play if they are to compete healthily. Playing with fairness and consideration for rules and team mates shows a level of maturity that is appreciated on and off the field. Teach your kids that they should strive to be respected by teammates and opponents alike.

These lessons form the foundation for all future competitive success.

The goal of competition should be to play to the best of your ability and – win or lose – accept the outcome gracefully.

Many aspects of life are competitive, and sports are a great way for children to learn how to navigate that landscape. If you instill strong, healthy competitive values in them while they’re young, it’ll pay dividends for the rest of their lives.