Here's a piece on joy in gymnastics

[conuly]

What gets me is one of the top-level comments:


klejarde
4:23 PM EDT
Of course gymnastics is joyful! When you win. Just like basketball is joyful when you win, soccer is joyful when you win, curling is joyful when you...you get the idea.

What a dreary life this person must lead! What about just having fun without worrying about "winning" and "losing"? Especially when it comes to solo sports like gymnastics, how can you possibly enjoy those if you're always competing against anybody but yourself? I hope they don't apply that depressing little philosophy to their entire lives. "Sure, eating is joyful. When you're at the best restaurant money can buy. Sure, cooking is joyful. When you're a master chef. Sure, reading is joyful. When you're reading a CLASSIC and finishing it before the rest of the class. Sure, having a cat is joyful. When it's a prizewinning purebred." I don't even want to speculate on this guy's approach to: math, sex, children, or gardening.

"When you win." What a stupid idea!

Comments

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

How about this: "Competition is fun when you win." The arena in which you're competing doesn't matter - gymnastics, cooking, reading, cats - the point is that you're doing it competitively. Worrying about winning or losing is what competition is all about - people who enjoy it don't see any purpose in 'just having fun' or 'competing against yourself', except for losers people who aren't capable of winning.

Gymnastics is a heavily competition-oriented sport these days, thus it attracts people of that mindset, and discourages people who don't like or care about competition. I was glad when my daughter chose not to stay in it, because I thought the competitive attitude was unhealthy and detrimental. A pity, because gymnastics ARE joyful, when one can do them just to be doing them, not to get ready for yet another Meet.

I don't care for competition - the whole win/lose, judging, who-is-better thing. I'm a much bigger fan of exhibition - no contests, no prizes, just get out there and show what you can do, and everybody gets applauded and encouraged for giving it their best shot. If you're awesome at whatever you do, people will certainly notice that, but it's much cooler to be awesome and modest, and liberal with praise for both practiced skill and beginner courage. It's much more fun when nobody loses.