Does winning really matter?

My grandson does competitive skiing, an individual sport. He is quite good, and he is being recognized by a national body, but he is still young. My best friend's grandson, who is the same age as my grandson, has been recognized as a top athlete in Football and is competing for national recognition.

 When I was young, my brothers and I were good athletes and excelled in both team and individual sports. When I was their age, I loved to play, practice and win. Winning was a nice reward, but it was not the goal of why I participated. My friend, who was also very athletic, believed that winning did matter more than participating So that leads me to the question:  Does winning really matter?

As I thought about this question, I was reminded that it's not only about the trophy at the finish line when we win but about the individuals we meet along the way, the challenges that we overcome, and the things we learn when we win.

I was younger, I specialized at the half mile and mile races, and I was four years second best in my age category. My brothers, with skills in sprinting and distance, had similar interests. Both our abilities and our attitudes helped our coaches to form a city track club—a place where we each recognized that winning's value lay in what we all worked towards and gave up for each other.

At the same time, my athletic career took me to the softball diamond, where my brothers and I played for a team that, after five long years of hard work and perseverance, finally won the provincial championship. A bit later, I was also fortunate enough to be a linesman in minor league football on a team that won the Canadian championship. These lessons taught me that though the thrill of victory was enjoyable, the true value lay in the day-to-day grind, the camaraderie, and the pure joy of playing the game.

This leads us to a question that has crossed my mind over the years: Does winning matter?

In my mind, the answer has always been nuanced. Yes, winning is a beautiful moment of recognition, but it’s the journey—the practice, the team spirit, the steady improvement- that truly shapes us.

For this series, I’ve broken down what winning means and how it touches every part of our lives. Over the next few blogs, I will explore what I think we should be telling our grandchildren about winning. I hope you enjoy the following ideas:

1.    The key question: Does winning matter?

2.    How winning influences team culture and buy-in

3.    The challenge of defining success beyond wins and losses

4.    Personal coaching lessons: finding small wins within the game

5.    What research says about motivation—why winning isn’t the top priority for athletes

6.    How to shift the focus from championships to daily improvement

7.    How can an athlete balance recognition while staying process-oriented