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Show Winning advice Lose the gam e, but win the boy u s reany lougn to lose. There are no two ways about it, nobody likes to lose. Our society is geared to laud winners and shun losers and the thought of losing. This concept can be seen everywhere, fMike Cannon lot of class and provide needed support for the kids they're working with but the few who don't really get under my skin. The attitude of winning at any cost has no place in sports programs for youngsters, and the coaches and players who do their best are, in my book, the true champs. Kids who get pushed too hard at an early age often burn out by the time they're in junior high or high school. They have had things crammed down their throats until they upchuck the entire thought of sports or competition. It's tough to lose, but it's much better to lose the game and win the boy or girl than the opposite. The adult working with young people who keeps this in mind will be much more successful than the person who goes to excessive lengths to win and he will usually be the coach who ends up winning more games in the long run. yet, it can! if -ad to quitting. There is no room for t he quitter, and the loser should k ;uep a high head in defeat, pai riticularly the loser in youth sports pro g;rams If a mi ajor league ball player or manager 1 c an't win, they deserve to be fired. Th u;y have selected that trade and shouJ j excel therein. If a Little Leaguer or youngster involved in a youth sp rts programs can't perform, they d' esserve extra help, en-courager en-courager rient and support, and not a chewing JUt or kick in the pants. Unfortunate Un-fortunate e ly, the latter is sometimes resorted , to more than the former, both by pare n ts, peers and instructors. Any be jcly who has attended a youth sports ' ewent recently will understand what I'' mi talking about. I love athletic progra! m s for youngsters and feel they fill a v er y important need. Also, most adults in, these programs demonstrate a including the world of advertising. If people purchase a particular product, they are virtually guaranteed that they will be "winners." It's obvious that anybody who eats Wheaties, the breakfast of champions, will succeed at anything he or she sets out to accomplish. If an individual dons a certain type of aftershave or perfume, per-fume, this person will be an instant winner with the opposite sex. And there are countless other examples of this attitude. There's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to win, and I enjoy the thrill of victory as much as anybody else. The agony of defeat is generally tough to swallow and can leave a bitter taste in one's mouth. The worst part of losing is that it can become a habit or, worse |