Question: "Championship teams are often associated with character. Their team had character. But has there been any research done with teams that lose a lot but have character? And maybe there’s an assumption that teams that consistently lose don’t have character. Any research there? That could be why lower level teams at Shooters have the hardest time. Almost like a false notion that because you pay your tithing that you’ll get rewarded. I think character in teams is great, but perhaps taken too seriously in sports where talent/work ethic (from people without character) still win the day."
Answer: "First, character development in sports has less to do with winning or losing records and more to do with modeling and intentionality of coaches and educators (Pennington, 2019). Winning teams can lack character or possess character, and the same is true for lower-performing teams. Unfortunately, it is common to see both winning and losing teams display poor character. However, lower-performing teams that have a “win at all costs” mentality are especially prone to handling loss poorly, resorting to fouling or bending the rules, and exhibiting poor sportsmanship in general (Pattock-Peckam, 2020). This is also true for winning teams a “winning at all costs” mentality is maladaptive for athletes and coaches no matter the level.
Fortunately, losing can also serve as a powerful learning experience, fostering resilience, empathy, and perseverance if coaches seize the opportunity. According to Tamminen and Holt (2012), youth athletes often report that coping with losses teaches them valuable life skills such as emotional regulation, stress management, and constructive reflection. These experiences can contribute to character development by promoting psychological resilience and a growth mindset. Again, this positive growth is most often accomplished by modeling and intentional teaching of coaches and parents.
Importantly, we suggest coaches keep in mind a principle that Dr. White shared at the coaches’ workshop last week. Coaches should have a double-goal approach to coaching—the goal of character development and the goal of winning. These goals are not mutually exclusive.
For more information, I recommend watching Dr. White’s interview with SYP, where he tackles this issue and many more: