PREPNET / SPEAK OUT

How much emphasis on winning should there be in high school sports?

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CEDRIC CHUN

Corona del Mar, Volleyball

There must be a high emphasis on winning in high school sports in order to prepare us for collegiate and professional athletics. If winning wasn’t such a big issue, then coaches wouldn’t have hard practices, students wouldn’t transfer to play for a better team, and less money would be spent on athletic gear. Coaches taught us sportsmanship when we were younger, now they teach us to win.

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ERIN MOBLEY

Foothill, Softball

Schools that have a very good chance at winning or achieving success should definitely place an emphasis on doing the best they can, but every school should do the best it can with the talent it has. Not every school is as lucky as we are at Foothill. Everyone who participates should learn about themselves, learn how to compete and learn how to strive for excellence to achieve goals. It’s a life lesson that everyone needs to learn, and sports helps that immensely. But it’s important to remember to keep it fun.

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SARAH RETTMANN

Mission Viejo, Cross-Country/Track

I think that there should be some emphasis placed on winning to provide a goal for the athlete, but I feel that most of the emphasis should be placed on doing your best and having fun. Athletes that are told to go out and do what they are capable of end up doing better than those that have the pressure on them to win. When an athlete surprises the coach, instead of being put into the situation where they have to win, they have accomplished much more. Many times the excess pressure only makes the athlete feel worse when they do not necessarily live up to the expectations.

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JOHN AZEVEDO

Calvary Chapel, Wrestling Coach

Winning should be emphasized, at least trying to win. That’s what you are out there for. But when winning is the most important thing, it becomes a bad thing. It adds too much pressure. That’s what I teach. Give your best and try to win, but not to the point where you have to win.

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VERONICA JOHNS-RICHARDSON

Troy, Basketball

In high school basketball, winning is very important but only to a certain extent. One should attempt basketball like anything else, whether it’s academics, friends or family, by giving 100%. At Troy, we work long hours and extensively cover everything. Our practices are hard, which lead to our games. From all our work, winning is our end result. But sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It’s really about how hard you try and what you learn. So when asked, ‘Should winning be emphasized,’ the answer is no. Working hard should be emphasized. If one works hard, they have a great chance of winning.”

NEXT QUESTION

Some sports have mercy rules. Should those rules be extended to other sports, like football and water polo? Why or why not?