Last week we delighted in the swimming and water confidence skills demonstrated by even our youngest students during our Early Years and Primary Swimming Galas.
The children were able to apply what they have been learning in their swim lessons to the gala events and impressed us with not just their skill level but also their determination and resilience to perform to a large spectator audience and within a competitive situation.
Events such as the swimming galas are a great learning experience for the children. We know that there are a wide range of abilities and levels and that the competitive element can be a little scary for some children. However, when managed appropriately, competition can and should be a great experience for children. We help the children to understand that winning is not the singularly most important thing and there is plenty of room for more than one person to be considered successful. We want all children to strive to be their best self rather than being better than others. This was clearly evident throughout both days where children really pushed themselves, showing incredible determination to complete the races to the best of their individual abilities. And wonderful too that they were supported in doing so by their fellow House Team members who enthusiastically cheered them on from the sidelines.
Competition also teaches us to manage our nerves, overcome our fears and learn to take risks. When the pressure is on and we are pushed out of our comfort zone, we have to learn to manage our nerves and focus on the task ahead. We have to pull from our previous learning and apply these practised skills and knowledge in the NOW. In doing so we can build our confidence to do things that are hard or uncomfortable and develop an incredibly useful skill-set that we can carry with us in life, helping in tricky and new situations.
Of course, when we enter a competition, things don’t always go our way. Sometimes we work hard, and still lose. Sometimes we win but still didn’t perform as we wanted to. When you develop a talent and work hard for a result, it feels great. When you fail and learn that you can bounce back, you feel more confident in yourself because you understand that you have resilience. We build self-esteem and grit in these moments and these are two traits that most certainly are essential in adulthood. We also learn to win and lose with grace as competition gives us the opportunities to cope with feelings of pride and disappointment and to learn to process them in healthy ways.
Well done to all our amazing swimmers and water babies – we are so proud of you all. Thanks also to our highly supportive parents who came along to support the children – we hope you were impressed and proud too!
Thanks for your continued support.
