Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

MNHQ

Do you think children feel under pressure to cheat at sport? Your views please!

29 replies

HelenMumsnet · 15/04/2013 10:02

Hello.

We're fascinated by this news story today, suggesting that two-thirds of UK children feel under pressure to cheat at sports because of a "win-at-all-costs" culture.

Also, according to a survey commissioned for the MCC and the Cricket Foundation, as many as one in 20 of the children questioned said they'd be proud to have arrived at victory dishonestly.

Is this something you've noticed? Do your children think it's OK to trip, foul, dive, deliberately mis-score etc etc, all in the name of winning? And/or do they feel under pressure to cheat in this way when they're playing competitive sport?

Please do tell!

OP posts:
Wishiwasanheiress · 15/04/2013 11:42

Poppycock. Schools spent last 30yrs handing out phony medals to every person in the school just for watching a sports day. It's more prevalent of kids I know to expect to get something regardless of effort shown.

MrSlant · 15/04/2013 11:29

Absolutely not! It was a truly sad day in this house when the Lance Armstrong scandal finally broke and we had to explain to them what he and some of their actual heroes had done to win at cycling. We follow Team Sky partially for their very robust 'get to the top and get there cleanly' attitude. In their football and rugby teams and also their cycling club there is very much an ethos of enjoying sport for what it is and that only idiots dope or cheat. I think, I hope, we are going to see a new era, particularly in cycling, where this becomes the new attitude.

ohforfoxsake · 15/04/2013 11:10

IME it largely depends on the coach. I don't think my football/rugby/cricket playing children would be comfortable taking a dishonest victory, and that is because their coaches teach them to play well and enjoy their sports. Being a good sportsman - not just in their game but in their attitude of being gracious in victory or defeat - is at the heart of it.

Saying that, I see many other teams - and it's most obvious in football - where there is quite a nasty 'win at all costs' ethos. It brings out quite an unpleasant streak in parents, both as volunteer coaches (they get the victories) and on the sidelines. I think this is the heart of the problem. Yes, I blame the parents.

BanjoPlayingTiger · 15/04/2013 11:04

Hmm, when my kids were in wchool a couple of years ago. My ds at his reception sports day was just walking along through his races, when asked why he wasn't running to win he said there was no point as they would all get a medal anyway.

So I'm not sure there is a 'win at all costs' culture. If anything I'd say things were much the opposite.