The Olympic creed was first publicly proclaimed at the 1908 summer Olympics. Some fun facts about these earlier games might elucidate the importance of the creed. The 1904 summer Olympics was held in the shadow of the concurrent World Faire partly because the Russo-Japanese war and the difficulty of getting to St. Louis kept many of the world's top athletes away. One of the most remarkable athletes in the 1904 games was the American gymnast George Eyser, who won six medals even though his left leg was made of wood. The 1908 games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome but when Mount Vesuvius erupted on April 7, 1906, funds were diverted to the reconstruction of Naples. London was selected as the new venue. This and the rising level of tension because of the complex network of alliances that later led to the first world war made attending the games rather difficult.

This part is a little off topic. With regard to last week's comment about white lies, in the 1904 marathon, the first to arrive at the finish line was Frederick Lorz, who actually was just going back to the finish line to retrieve his belongings after dropping out after nine miles. When the officials thought he had won the race, he played along as a practical joke. The actual winner was Thomas Hicks, who nearly died because he used what was thought to be sport-enhancing substance at the time, strychnine sulfate mixed with brandy. The substance was banned for obvious reasons.

Winning Isn't everything...
My son is playing flag football (1-7 record). What he remembers most is the flags he pulled, the 30 yard run he made. Did we win? No, but the participation is what he fondly remembers. My own memories of boyhood football are exactly the same, I don't remember if we won, I just enjoyed playing in the game.

Winning isn't everything but it definitely does give us a boost when we need it.

This is very effective, and a lot of parents need to read this because people need to know how to raise a good child.

i liked this story the most. i like the fact the it is about a current event.

I don't remember all the names, or even the exact year, but a few years back a great story came from the Special Olympics that speaks to mostly the attitude of Christians when it comes to winning. There were two outstanding Special Olympians who, when running, always ran neck and neck together ahead of all the rest. This went on I understand for quite a while. The thing is, while you can teach these folks the joy of being in the race, as you mentioned, they never seem to get the idea that they need to sort of step on their fellow runners to win. That spirit never takes over, they will even help each other make it to the goal. At one of their big Olympic games, where the gold was the prize, the same scenario was happening with these 2 out ahead of everyone and all the rest sort of jammed together. Something happened to one of these 2 fellows and he fell down. The other went for a ways and realized he was alone and then looked back to see what happened to his buddy. When he did, he saw his buddy down, knees bleeding a bit, but then he saw all the others crowded around him to help him get back up and make it to the goal. The one in front goes back to get his buddy and make sure he can make it and they start running together again and they all make it to the goal! That's the story of Christianity. We are not in competition, we want to make sure we all reach the goal together. Train hard, work hard, but in the end make sure your buddies all get there.

My son recently ended his first year playing in a competitive basketball league. I am proud to say that they lost every single game. Why, because they are the best losers in the league. No complaining, no whining, no swearing. All too often they were defeated by teams who played as if winning was the only option. Thankfully, they did play one team with a coach who understood that sportsmanship, character, and fair play were more important than winning the game. It would be a great thing for all coaches to receive mandatory training in sportsmanship, character, and ethical behavior.

The "winning-playing because you enjoy it" discussion brings to mind that individuals are all unique. Some people are naturally very, very competitive. I recognize that in myself but never had the opportunity to play sports. But my daughter must have gotten that from me. As parents, we tried to give her a balanced perspective. Although I am competitive by nature, I am also a parent educator and see the importance of balance and how damaging "winning no matter what the cost" can be. Olympians have to be of that competitive nature but hopefully they get some of that balance along the way. My daughter still likes to win even if it is college intramurals!

I believe also, it is not the winning that really counts most of the time, it is a journey within that brings a joy of accomplishment.

I respect your wisdom Michael!

The definiton of "compete" is "try to win". It's the very essence of sport. Certainly, all those life lessons are presented along the way but the goal is to win - that's why scores are kept. When I asked my son if he was having fun playing baseball this year, he responded, "How can I be having fun when we lose all the time?" I cannot argue with that. They've only won twice all season. I told him he needs to learn how to lose with dignity this year. Clearly, having fun playing a game just doesn't fall under the category of losing. One who is ok with losing is a loser. See, it's this simple; kids (and adults) WANT to win. Kids start to keep score as soon as they can count, even when they play in a "we don't keep score" league. How does an athlete know when to step up his/her game when they need to? There are still some of us left who abide by Vince Lombardi's quote, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."

I played soccer for 28 years in Germany, on a rather high level, in Canada and here in California.
In youth soccer we never heard a coach say you must win. It was expected to give 100% plus. When we lost, it was by a better team. When we won, we were the better team with a few exceptions. Mouthing off was not allowed, whatever the reason. The coach, a former player, would take you out of the game and talk to you. We won many games and I was not happy because I did not give my best. We lost many games and I was content because I gave it all.
One is never a loser giving it all but getting beat by a better player or team.
This is in stark contrast to the American way of thinking. I dare to say it prepared me much better for the much bigger challenges in my life to come. I feel so sorry for the kids who are being yelled at by their parents who did not achieve much of anything in sports.
This is one of the reasons why I chose not to coach soccer and I have much to offer.
The Olympic games and most other sports are only about the money. If drugs can get one to get that medal or trophy, it is OK.
I do not even watch much soccer or hockey on TV. The beautiful game Pele played or the Montreal Canadians displayed with skill on the ice is no more. They have been replaced by criminal actions on the rink and strange tactics on the soccer field and even stranger interpretations by referees.
I do accept this trend as it gives me more time for better activities.
Amateur Sport has been dead for decades.

i come from and live in nigeria where corruption is normal. its so hard to live ethically but i have chosen to and this website pushes me to go on even when it seems impossible. thank you for your good work. you are reaching and touching the entire world.

Humans thrive on winning. Unless you give them a sense of accomplishment, they will not try. Winning is everything, being number one is not. People who feel they have not personally won do not have any concern for the process. I have led many people, and the one constant is you must give them the feeling that what they did was significant and that they won. Parents who revel in their child’s joy at success in a sport when the team loses are not seeing that the enjoyment is simply the child’s winning in a personal achievement, and that will wear off with the reality of experience and competition. The emphasis should be on winning at what you are good at rather than continuing the “process” where you are ultimately losing.

All four of my children played sports. They were, and are, very competitive. My two sons excelled in baseball, and one is playing professionally. From the time they were little, whenever they played, they were encouraged to do their best. Some days were better than others, but when they lost, we always referred to their losses as "character-building moments." I am proud to say their characters are solid and upstanding, and I know their experiences, both winning and losing, have contributed to the people they are today.