This study asked kids 'Why do you play sports?' - 9 out of 10
answered because it is fun. Then they asked them to define what is fun - they came up with 81 characteristics, and winning was down at #48 on the list. A few more interesting results:
- The top 3 fun factors were: Being a good sport, trying hard, and positive coaching
- Good 'swag', such as uniforms, the latest sports gear, and trophies - was the lowest rated fun factor
I tested this theory last Friday night - as I was coaching a middle-school lacrosse game in which we were vastly overmatched
athletically. Being down 9-0 in the 3rd quarter, our kids were definitely not having fun. So the coaching staff decided to mix things up - we asked every kid to try playing a different position and just go do their best, no pressure. So defensive players were playing offense and visa-versa. They had a blast and were laughing, smiling, trying new things. After the game the kids were all joking, re-telling stories of
fun things they tried on the field. Looking at the sidelines you would have thought our team was the one that won the game (we actually did a little better with these switches, but were still outscored 4-1.) Now while I'm not advocating being a lazy coach and encouraging your teams to play sloppy - sometimes it's good to just relax and let your kids be kids and have fun.
