The Biggest Loser is a winner because they get their health, weight and often self confidence into a much better place. An ad on TV shows happy faces saying, “I’m a loser” and it, too, relates to lifestyle change.
My oldest son said that being on losing sports teams as a young fellow — and he was on lots — taught him some tremendous life lessons. The boys on those teams tried hard, they just got beat lots; they also had lots of fun and rejoiced in the triumphs when they did occur.
He was involved with a volleyball team as a young guy which only won one set, of all the games they played, and you would have thought they had won the championship. It was their first year. They never lost interest in the game and the next year in high school they worked harder, improved their skills and won more sets, and many games, and did throughout high school. The first coach taught them the basic skills, worked on their team work, because they were very supportive of each other and instilled a love of the game which still exists. He also made it lots of fun, which it continues to be. It doesn’t mean they still don’t give it their all and play hard, they can just take it in stride because they know there will be another game.
I think having fun with sports is important. I know there are many who believe it is all about winning, however I also think it is about playing. It is called playing sports, isn’t it? Playing, having fun, being together, laughing, learning. Are those old guys out there on the rink playing to win or just glad to be there still playing, having fun, being together, laughing, enjoying the way their body moves, feeling that strength, feeling anything.
My boys were involved in fencing, the oldest for about four years, the youngest for one. It was a great activity for them and certainly for the oldest it was one of the first sports he really embraced. He was a shy lad and at the first camp I took him to at the end of the day I was asking Brendan Robertson how he did, being concerned about his shyness. “He was fabulous, he’s so aggressive.” No that boy over there. Yes, that’s the one, he’s a natural. And on it went.
The youngest learned to lose. He was younger and smaller than his opponents, however he lost most of his matches, but he learned to set goals, to not lose so much against the big guys and to keep trying. Learning to lose made it easier for when he did lose in his favourite sports, where he was mostly winning. It wasn’t the end of the world, and you can just come back stronger again and again. Re-evaluating like we do as grown-ups when we lose at sales, tenders, grants, job postings, love.
The original conversation was that losing in these sports has prepared my oldest for his profession because he is an actor. There will be losing with auditions and the wins will be so sweet. He also sees it with job competitions, in school, etc. Losing isn’t the end, in many cases it is a new beginning. It keeps you on your toes wanting to improve, re-evaluate, what can I do better, what went right, what went wrong. If you swim in the loss too long you are going to miss the new opportunities that lie ahead for winning and playing.
Life is interesting, with the way in which words and their meanings get switched around. Charlie Sheen is all about “winning.” My arm chair theory is he is self destructing and these rants and strange behavior is not “winning.” The people on The Biggest Loser who are trying so hard to lose weight, become healthy, I think they are all winners.
There are many places where winning has significant consequences: Olympics, auditions, scholarships, endorsements, elections.
As a collective, we have some important competitions ahead where we all live with the consequences of the win, the federal election, the upcoming HST referendum, provincial and local elections. All of us eligible voters have an opportunity here, make sure you cast your vote. I am hoping we see the younger voters come out in full force. Around the world other young people are rallying for the chance to cast a vote, so don’t miss this chance to participate.
Wherever you are on the spectrum of activity, participation is the first step — whether voting or playing, be a presence.
Michele Blais is a Vernon realtor and the former executive director of The Family Resource Centre in Vernon.
