Not by Accident: Sports Winning and Losing -Episode 20

Sports and competition are universal across time, cultures and generations. Since human's existed they have been playing (and creating) athletic competitions. Sports teach us amazing lessons in a dynamic manner. We learn as we do and sometimes we have to learn very quickly. Discipline, teamwork, cooperation, persistence, humility, the necessity of physical, mental and intellectual prowess, overcoming adversity, short-term pain for long-term reward... all these are critical lessons of life that are directly taught by participation in sports.
Many people mistakenly judge success in sports by the final outcome of the game or event. In other words if we won. This is a shortsighted, naive and dangerous way of measuring success. Sports is so much more than winning. The competition itself, if engaged with honor and full effort, is enobling and will benefit the participants regardless if they come out with a better score than their opponent.
THis episode includes a story shared by Michael Josephson (founder of Character Counts) of an Olympian who understood the higher purpose of competition and a portion of a talk given by Tom Brady, famed quarterback of the New Enland Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both provide a larger view and purpose of sports, winning and the essential element of losing.