It’s Better to Win Bronze

I’ve always been somewhat mystified by athletes who have already achieved remarkable success, by virtue of the fact that they have made their respective Olympic teams, looking devastated when there isn't a Gold medal around their necks. In this most recent Olympics, athletes from certain countries were actually made to apologize on air for “shaming” their homeland by not bringing back Gold. I wonder about the message this gives to young people who already operate from adolescent brains that view the world and themselves in “all or nothing” terms. Wouldn’t it be better to model that “success” and accomplishment is about effort, determination, courage, and not giving up? For me, the cyclists, runners, and gymnasts who fall, get back up and keep going are true “winners” too.

I am also concerned when “success” is measured by “sticking the landing” in gymnastics, or “not making a splash in the pool” after the dive. In both cases it almost seems as if the extraordinary effort and skill that goes into performing incredible feats on the balance beam, doing quadruple somersaults in mid-air before landing in the water or on the floor mat simply don't count if the last millisecond of the routine is anything less than perfect. Again, what messages are we giving when Olympic commentators minimize or even ignore the brilliant effort and gasp in anguish, lamenting the fact that an imperfect finish has “ruined” the routine? I worry that this mindset permeates sports and other endeavors on less competitive levels, too. Do parents give their kids the message that unless they get the lead in the school play, merit the “first” violin seat, always “start” on their sports team, get accepted to their “first choice” college, win the high school debate, etc. then what they’ve done is not good enough?

Maybe we can all take a lesson from Olympic athletes who win Bronze medals and can truly cherish their efforts and feel a sense of deep satisfaction for their accomplishments. All of the hard work should count and never be minimized by a hierarchy of colored medals. And let’s not forget the athletes who reach out and help a fallen teammate, or more impressively, a competitor from another country. To me, they don't need Gold medals because they have hearts of gold.

Do you think parents, teachers, and coaches put more emphasis on effort or "winning"?