Caitlin Clark just set the all-time scoring record for NCAA women’s college basketball. Who’s Caitlin Clark? Don’t watch women’s college basketball? Doesn’t really impact you? Well…
Growing up and into my young-adult life, I was very competitive. It did not matter if it was on the court/field, in the classroom, or at the kitchen table. I loved to go against anyone or any team, to match abilities, wits, or strategies. I had talent and a lot of effort, so my skills made me highly successful. This meant good grades, numerous wins, and frequent awards. I was proud of my teams and of myself and all the accomplishments. Looking back, I hope my opposition, family, and friends can say that I was a worthy rival.
With age, sometimes there is wisdom. My competitive nature has mellowed and, I hope, wisdom has changed me and "competition" means something different. If my experiences are not similar to yours, maybe you recognize them through your loved ones. Having had children in athletics, in extra-curricular activities, and through their middle-school years, I felt and observed both their competitiveness and my own through them and what they experienced. Of course we all want what is best for our children and to have them be successful, so we pay for tutors, lessons, and camps; we sacrifice other family opportunities; and we encourage them to practice and compete. Then we monitor their progress on our screens while we cheer from the stands or as a member of an audience.
We all have seen, read, or heard about when this does not go well, when competition is taken too far. But instead of thinking about those times that happen far too frequently, let us think about a 22-year-old Iowa baseball player to find some wisdom. Because this time and space is brief, my thoughts are not about competition, rather they are about how Caitlin Clark competes, what she has been doing as a teammate on her way to this scoring title. My mind is how Caitlin can be seen not so much as against an adversary but instead as how she strives and works with others. She is a part of something great rather than simply being great herself.
Caitlin Clark makes those around her better, and as her teammates grow and improve, this in turn has helped her grow and improve, making everyone even better. In and out of the world of sports, there are numerous examples of how an individual helps to raise others to the next level, how a star becomes “super” because the team excels. I love it when these people grow because of how they have made those around them better, because they have been entrusted that their efforts and skills will add value to the organization. This is how I view competition for all of the right reasons.
Spring Conferences are in a couple of weeks. As parents you know your child, her/his efforts, skills, and past outcomes. You are aware of strengths and weaknesses and the experiences that have been the result of the learning opportunities over all these years. So now is a good time to be entrusted with this definition about competition and that learning is not about comparisons or adversaries. Time, talent, and effort are similar for all learners, but they are not about beating someone else. Instead, they should be about adding value to the classroom/school, about helping raise oneself and others simultaneously to the next level, and about being a part of something great.
I hope you will come to conferences this spring, and I hope your conversations can have this Caitlin-Clark like approach, working together to make both your child and our great team even greater.
Weeks at a Glance
- Monday, February 19 - No school: Presidents Day
- Wednesday, February 21 - Eligibility Suspensions: Student-Athletes
- Monday, February 26 - No school: Teacher Professional Development
- Wednesday, February 28 - You're Not Alone: Sixth Grade Campus