Genetic and training are important, but winning the gold medal is a higher level activity that involves mental focus, discipline, and determination. A mediocre athlete with these three qualities will always succeed against those with the genes and training. For example, JA had the fastest women’s relay tem at the last Olympics, but lost (DQ) to the slowest team who won the gold medal.

You should define good and bad competition. Bad competition is envy, jealousy, abuse, greed, and discord. What then is good competition? You should also define “critical thinking” and “thinking critically.” Critical thinking is a higher level activity that involves evaluation and problem solving; thinking critically involves seeking errors and assigning blame. Which do you believe enhances non-competition?

Oliver: Genetis and training is important in sports. Try as some of us think we could not be a world class runner. Bolt is o.k what of the others who in our small country feels and displays this very competitive nature. The competition to have the biggest house, the most expensive motor vehicle has pushed the drug trade. It distroys marriages, as members of the opposite sex competes for the man or woman who has the attributes, especially money , so illicit affairs are promoed. One man wants to compete with his peers re how many baby mothers he can have. Hello this competion affects all our lives. Do not agree, say so but think about what I have said here. One can think critcally without bein competive.

I have heard of primary school children being taught to fish and blind to sail at Shake-A-Leg in Miami. It was not a formal class but part of their tactile learning via competition. Cooperative sports do have competition as central part of the lesson plan.

What identifies cooperative competition is the rewards/incentives scheme. Is it winner take all or do we also recognize all who made the effort to compete fairly, with respect for all receiving the highest award?

When I attended the ISVCF camps in Morelands in Jamaica, we competed cooperatively. The same is usually done in Pee Wee Leagues in the US although some parents sometimes forget the citizenship and self-worth building goals during kid’s Play Age.

When I taught at a Catholic High School in Miami, Pace, we were challenged to introduce critical thinking components in every area including sports. However, the key component was always competition either in groups/teams, individual, or against oneself. In competition, we set a practical goal and strive to attain/exceed then raise the bar.

Thoughtful parents do this with infants to develop their cognitive and behavioral aspects, and great teachers do this all the time with their students.

By the way, ole time three-legged race and egg-n-spoon relay were cooperative sports.

Tug-O-War too…

If there is no competition, there will be nothing to improve or change. If we do not learn to compete in a free and fair manner that is respectful of each other’s abilities and skills, we will collapse internally and fail externally with our trading partners.

Griffins – I too was born before Jamaica’s independence, but I have seen sustained changes over four decades in Jamaica. It could be that I have been deeply interested and involved in those changes, but less focused on listening to the foreign press…