Why Compete!?
by Nick-at-Will

October 23, 2015 - Should the quote: "Winning isn't everything, but losing is nothing" apply to your junior squash player? We don't think so! So what's the point of  having your child compete in accredited junior tournaments? Is it just to WIN...so they can earn and rack up ranking points, or is it to give it their best EFFORT, compete, smile and be happy?

If you ask any parent who have their child involved in a junior squash program and active playing junior squash tournaments and why they're involved, is it about health, fitness, social interaction, learning life’s lessons...and maybe more importantly about having fun!? We would hope so...but we don't think so!

Of course, as your junior squash-player progresses, the junior squash scene becomes much more competitive. At some point a decision must be made whether to play just for FUN and enjoyment, or to make it to the "next" level.

Whichever path is chosen, a strong argument could be made that playing competitive squash may still provide those life lessons, inspiring a parent to sign their child up for an organized squash program in the first place.

Of course, "FUN" would still be included on the list of motivating factors. With that of course, in order to reach a high level of proficiency, (or any endeavor) quite a bit of time, work, expense and travel will absolutely be necessary.

We all hope that our child is involved in something they LOVE to do, not something their parents WANT them to do...for whatever reason! There's lots of research showing just how much work it takes to reach high levels of skill and competitive prowess. That’s why there is so much written about needing to have a LOVE and passion for whatever one decides to partake in.

In any competitive endeavor, the higher the level, the higher the stakes. This can sometime cloud the reason why our junior squash-players compete in the first place. Does winning become more important than participating and having FUN!?

Well...and maybe unfortunately, the answer is yes! This is especially true in highly competitive junior squash programs, where parents are going so far as to even hire private squash coaches, because winning drives the viability of their child eventually making a college or university squash team..or even in the future, play squash professionally.

With this in mind, considering the competition and likelihood (maybe unlikely) of "making it," does winning have anything to do with having fun and developing as a human being?  Sure, but it may be more accurate to say that it’s not about the winning so much as about putting in the EFFORT of TRYING to win!

The reality is that there can only be one winner in any given junior squash tournament. Is your young junior squash-player (or you as a parent) going to be excessively disappointed if they don't win? Sure...so why would any child want to compete in the first place?

Bottom line, it has to be about more than JUST winning! It also has to be about the challenge and giving it their best EFFORT to win! There are many examples of athletes who are close to the top in any given competition. They may (and often do) fail dramatically trying to reach the very top. You see this occur over and over again at all junior squash tournaments. Some players (not many) move up significantly in the rankings, but many more do not!

Is there any shame in not winning?  Absolutely not!  In fact we'd say the opposite! A child can (and should) be well-prepared for the time they don't win - and be counseled that it's the effort of "trying" to win while still having FUN is what's really most important! As Richard Millman mentions in his great book..."Raise Big Smiling SQUASH KIDS!"