Is winning the most important part of playing sports?

Gina (No)

The goal of every sporting event is to win the game, but there are more important parts than just winning. Numbers influence our behavior; when players win a game, they strategize how to repeat the behaviors they show on the field. When a team loses, they strategize on how to be better. They must build strength, endurance, systems, awareness, and team cohesivity. These practices increase self-development not only on the field but off the field as well. 

A study shows “with regard to the coach-athlete relationship, coaches can take on a 'stronger and wiser' role by providing support, advice, guidance, and comfort as well as encouraging exploration and risk-taking behaviors, similar to the role of parents.” Whether the team is winning or losing, the relationship between coach and athlete offers positive influence. 

Australia's Department of Health and Aged Care says, 'losing teaches children to overcome disappointment, cope with unpleasant experiences and is an important part of becoming resilient.' This emotional and mental development helps children prepare for the ups and downs they will inevitably experience. 

Much preparation goes into any sport, such as practice and working out. This motivates physical activity and collaboration. A 2019 study pointed out that “participation in sports, with or without competition, promotes healthy behavior and a better quality of life.” This proves that scores don’t need to be acknowledged to benefit a team or person. An entire Netflix series called Losers was created to “examine the psychology of losing as people find ways to handle failure.” Although winning can be one goal, countless benefits come from simply participating. Even losing has its benefits. 

Luis (Yes)

Winning is everything in sports. While it could be considered unfair, winning is exactly what makes a player or a team leave their mark in history. Winning is the main reason so many people worldwide play, watch, and are sports fans. Winning is also an important element of playing sports that should not be overlooked, as it can either make or break players, either make them rememberable or forgotten. 

Everyone knows Michael Jordan or Cristiano Ronaldo, but few remember those who lost in the finals or the last few rounds. Every professional player of any discipline knows this reality, so winning pushes them to do better. Likewise, striving for excellence in the game will likewise push them to strive for excellence in other areas of life, with all the benefits that hard work and diligence bring.

Additionally, winning is always the most important thing in sports since losing is frustrating and harmful to the player’s emotional and mental health. After all, winning is connected with being competitive, a common human characteristic that has allowed it to achieve so much in different fields.

Finally, winning is everything in sports, considering that this can drive a team to win prizes and fame and individual players to earn college scholarships or even wages in the millions if they progress to professional levels. Only winning can get you there, and this reality is what makes sports so attractive. Without these kinds of incentives, there wouldn’t be any real goal to drive teams and players to perform their best.

Winning is what makes any sporting discipline make sense, not only for the kids who are just starting but also for the professionals who are already in the big leagues. Without this competitive factor, sports wouldn’t even exist.