Winning isn’t always about who comes first

My son is 8 and this year we’ve committed to encouraging his physical pursuits as he leans more naturally to the arts. We signed him up to a local weekend sports club and at his first session we knew he was going to be one of those kids who enjoyed the events, but was not going to have the drive to win. We love seeing his smiling face and skipping when he runs his longer races and we’re proud of him.

Last weekend his age group had to run two laps of the oval with younger boys and our son was quickly found near the back of the pack, running, skipping & walking with his big smile. Hot on his heels were four of the little kids and he made sure he stayed pace with them.

Coming down the home stretch there was a sudden spurt of speed between our boy and a younger one! They ran fast, side by side, neck to neck and he was suddenly focused and determined to beat this boy! We cheered “GO DAVID!!” And watched him race to the finish line, only to slow at the last second for the other boy to cross in front of him. We congratulated him on his great run and asked what happened at the end. He said in a matter-of-fact way “That boy was younger than me and I wanted to let him beat me because he’d feel good to know he beat a bigger boy”.

At first I had no words, just a kiss on the head and a cuddle, then I told him how proud of him we were. He knows it’s not about winning, it’s just about giving it your best and having fun. – Teresa ♥