Re: Pinewood Derby Winning
Rex Goode (rexg@IMS.COM)
Thu, 30 Jun 1994 12:52:44 PDT
> I generally agree that sportmanship needs to be learned by cub age boys and
> girls and losing gratiously is part of that process. Losing is easier if
> that competition is fair and enter into willingly. The first point is often
> aspired to, but probably never fully reached. Fast lanes, wear and tear
> from multiple races, and other variables all take their toll.
>
> Doug Flewelling
> Webelos Den Leader
> Pack 301, Bangor, ME
Fair? How do you determine fair? Because of the boys that everyone knew
were going to react negatively the races were run over and over, despite
the fact that we weren't going to have any winners. We wanted them run
so much? The parents of the boys who can't handle not winning, the same
parents who insisted we shouldn't have winners.
After all the racing, it was clear to everyone present that my son's
car was the fastest in all circumstances. That was when the two boys
from the two different families hit the doors, after all of their
parents' attempts at redoing the results failed.
These same parents, over the years have always complained that certain
aspects of our races were somehow unfair. We're in a Mormon troop. One
year our bishop's son clearly won the Raingutter Regatta. But these
parents claimed that somehow the boy won because he was the bishop's
son.
My point is, fairness itself is a relative concept, depending on how
you view competition.
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