Why are some parents so competitive?

Got to thinking about the recent swim championships. We have a team who wins the league championship every year. The parents of these star swimmers have gotten a bit pompous about their undefeated status. Sure, they are a great team with great swimmers who consistently do a good job. I will give them credit for that achievement.

Here is why the pompous parents were getting on my nerves..... Let's say little Mary wins her event and gets the gold medal. Are her parents satisfied? Not with this bunch. I repeatedly heard the parents congratulate the kids with an addendum tacked onto the end. "Oh honey, congratulations you swam a really good race, too bad you didn't break the league record." I heard this at least 5 times during the championship event. You could see little Mary all happy with a smile on her face, and then you could see it in her eyes, the sting of reproof. The blank stare realizing that winning first place just wasn't good enough.

What is wrong with these parents? They need to stop this ridiculous behavior and notice what they are doing to little Mary's self esteem. Jeez, enough already! Give the kid credit for the achievement and keep your competitive comments to yourself. Shame on all of the parents who did this to their children.

My child, the one with a physical disability, was also swimming that day. She had overcome great odds to be seeded in third place overall. These same twitty parents were looking at the psyche sheet, talking about my kid, saying "oh our swimmers can crush her." OMG was I mad, I blurted out "don't count on it." My kid did win third place as seeded. Whoo hoo for her!! I couldn't have been a more proud. I hugged her, kissed her, patted her on the back, and then took her out for dinner to celebrate. Not once did the thought, oh, how come you didn't win enter into my thinking.

My message to the overbearing, self esteem damaging parents: "Cut it out, little Mary is a star who took the Gold medal, be proud and celebrate her accomplishment, get over yourself, it's not about you."