Bad Teaching

I have had many arguments over what is better and what isn't, but today I wholly believe I was right.

I am a member of a taekwondo team and a squad for the up-coming competitions is being formulated.  Two methods were perposed and the first one actually made me quite irate and I am usually a calm person.

This person said only one of each rank should be allowed to join both squads - under 18's and the over 18's.  This I saw as wholly unfair because you cannot tell someone they cannot join because the squad have already got one person of their rank.  This would not work with children, it would deeply offend and upset them and make them feel like outsiders.

The reason the person gave for this was because he wanted the squad to win gold medals, which again made me irate because competitions are NOT about winning, it is about learning from mistakes and showing ability.  If a person wins gold then well done but this person wanted just gold medals won, if a squad member failed to do this they would feel like failuresd, but in my opinion simply attempting should be enough.  I expressed this and everyone seemed to go silent and looked ashamed of themselves, as they should have; the instructor came in and saw my face and asked why I looked so angry and I told her, even she looked disgusted by the team members.  So, another idea was formulated.

A range of categories were to be made that so everyone would be able to join the squad if they wished to, regardless of what rank or weight or even ability.  The instructor created new categories within the present ones and so we would have a larger squad.  I am just glad she listened to me because what the members said was just the height of unfairness and, quite frankly, prejudice.  I really hope they learned their lesson today.