Guest Author - Elsa Neal

Creativity chat with Kris Bordessa, part 10, on competitiveness

(Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10)

Participants:

Elsa Neal, Creativity Editor, BellaOnline
Kris Bordessa, author of Team Challenges
Megan Romer, Board Games Editor, BellaOnline
Writermom
Bonnie Sayers, Autism Spectrum Disorders Editor, BellaOnline
Candlepassion


Elsa
"Kris, can you use these techniques to solve problems of highly competitive children especially when playing sports."


Kris
"Hmm. You mean using these challenges within a sports team to build teamwork?"


Elsa
"Yes, and also in terms of playing sports for fun, but taking it too seriously."


Kris
"I think that when kids do these challenges, they again, really learn to work together. It doesn't do the team any good to have an overzealous member! I encourage my teams to work toward an improved high score. In spite of this, the kids always seem to turn it into a competition!

I have always had two teams, and each team will ask, "How many points did the other team get?" Sometimes I'll tell them a specific score (especially if they tied!), but other times, I'll just tell them that the other team had a more creative solution, or worked better as a team.

"I've had a few kids who were pretty competitive, but this is kind of a fun way to diffuse that - there's not really any winning or losing!"


Candlepassion
"Oh, sounds interesting."


Elsa
"Creativity is subjective. I think it is a great way to "score" their results."


Kris
"Yes, they can kind of see where they are improving, and where they need to improve.


Candlepassion
"I think my daughter is going to end up competitive when she gets into sports."


Elsa
"There's always more than one way to do something, and it helps in many areas if children have that mindset."


Candlepassion
"I wish I did!"


Kris
"Elle, yes, always more than one way - and that's a good skill to learn!"


Elsa
"You can try to balance competitiveness by playing sports for fun - if she, say, hits the ball and you miss it, she has to go fetch it! Hopefully that will teach a competitive child to hit the ball to their "opponent" rather than trying to make them miss."


Candlepassion
"My daughter likes to change the rules when it looks like she isn't going to win, LOL."


Elsa
"Oh dear."


Candlepassion
“Yep, and she's only 5"


Elsa
"Perhaps you can help her to grow out of it."


Candlepassion
"Most of the time she'll just follow along especially if the kids are older if the kids are younger, she thinks she can get something over them. My father is a big fan of it's not winning the game, it's how you win and having fun."


Elsa
"Try playing the games without having an outcome. No scores, no winning, no prizes. just play."


Kris
"Elle, thanks so much for having me here today! Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions, okay?? Candle, good luck with that competitive girl!"


Elsa
"Kris - thanks. Good luck with the rest of your tour."


Candlepassion
"Best wishes to you Kris."



END OF TRANSCRIPT

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Team Challenges by Kris Bordessa is available from Amazon.com

Kris Bordessa is also the author of Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself!