CHISZ’s position on national selection at junior level

10 Jun, 2022 - 00:06 0 Views
CHISZ’s position on national selection at junior level Rugby players and fans follow proceedings at a recent schools rugby match. — Picture: Kyros Sports

Suburban

Strong feelings exist with regard to the issue of National Representation at a young age. 

We must be careful that egotism and emotions do not sway our thinking. The CHISZ (Conference of Heads of Independent Schools Zimbabwe) schools have considered the issue at great length and have taken the stance that it does not believe that there should be any national representation below the level of Under 16/17. 

The following points serve to underline the reasons for this position. As educators, we are concerned for the child, for the development of the whole child and for the education of the child for life. Education is not about the short-term glory of the child nor about the reputation of the school. Education is not primarily about winning. It is acknowledged that National Sports Bodies are solely concerned for the development of their sport, and they are concerned about winning. It is understood that sport coaches in schools want to see their pupils develop in their sport (just as a subject teacher wants to see their pupil succeed in their subject) but they are only part of the picture, not the whole picture. As educationalists we recognise that the world today is different from previous generations. There are more sports (rowing, triathlon, BMX, dancing, riding, 7-a-side rugby, T20 cricket, Indoor hockey…) but the same number of youngsters. There are more demands (on time, money, effort) but the same number of school days. 

There is more pressure (from sports bodies, parents, Boards, former pupils, media) but the same emotions. There is more competition (unbeaten runs, trophies to win) but worse behaviour. And now there are more age groups wanted (where will it stop?). However, two things remain the same: 1. the child is still a child: 2. values (what is important and what is not). 

We wish to protect and prepare the child and ensure they have values for life To be more specific, we hold the following points: 

EARLY NATIONAL REPRESENTATION DOES NOT HELP YOUNGSTERS 

While early National Representation helps the child to be seen early (and therefore be in the minds of selectors thereafter), and while it may help them to play more matches and at a higher competitive level, it may be to the detriment of certain other major areas.

 Emotionally, the youngsters are still trying to cope with many changes in their lives and to throw extra pressure (and adulation) upon them does not help.

 Physically, the youngsters are changing rapidly and extra sporting pressure can make excessive physical demands. Furthermore, they obviously develop at different rates so they may excel at a young age purely because of their greater size relative to others at any particular point in time. 

· Academically, the youngsters have many subjects to cope with and an excessive amount of sport may interfere with the all-round progress of the child. In addition, the following must be remembered and respected: 

A child is not a commodity to be exploited. 

A child needs Holidays to recover from the demands of the term. 

A child needs Variety, as much as specialisation (trying different sports, where lessons are carried over from one to another; trying different positions). . 

In the world of academics, pupils only specialise later on and our national exams are only held after the child has turned 16. 

A child needs Balance – as a team needs balance so does an individual. 

A child needs Fun – national representation becomes such a serious issue that children do not enjoy sport. Why do so many youngsters who play in a national team at a young age give up the sport later? 

Eearly national representation does not help parents 

Equally, it has to be said that early National Representation does not help the parents of those children. Parents of young children often find it difficult to handle their child’s success or lack of it and wish to interfere (witness the attack on a cricket umpire at Colts level). It too often becomes a matter of the parents’ reputation, not the child’s development. Few parents think through the whole issue – they enjoy immediate, instant success, not investment in the long term. 

Early national representation does not develop youngsters 

As stated before, much of the success at this level is gained purely through earlier physical development – many do not develop. Many Under 13 or Under 14 national players are now languishing in senior school 2nd teams. As a result of early national selections, “poaching” is on the increase, often by schools across the border. It can be strongly argued that a child can be developed considerably more without national representation, free from the unnecessary pressure of making a team or staying in the team, constantly having to perform at the highest level. 

Youngsters do not understand early national representation 

Representing one’s country should be the highest honour – it is a massive privilege, a huge responsibility, a tremendous commitment. It is a long-term challenge which will incorporate putting much back into the game in that country. That does not work at Under 14 level or below. For most youngsters, all they see is the tracksuit and the fancy kit, the holiday in another country and the chance to go to shops. Sadly neither do the parents understand the honour of playing for one’s country – as long as they can say their child plays for Zimbabwe they are happy. 

Youngsters do not continue after early national representation

It is an undisputable fact that less than 10 percent of our youngsters continue with sport, serious or social, after they leave school – even our best players. We believe education is for life – we believe sport is an integral part of education. Therefore sport is for life – but we are not succeeding with that. Much of that will be due to the fact that we push recognition and winning higher than anything else. If a child has done well at sport, whether they make national teams or not, they should want to continue to play sport. 

Early national representation does not help schools

As an extra dimension it has to be stated that early National Representation does not help schools, with pupils being absent from classes due to national selection (often out of season) and with staff members acting as coaches often being out of school, placing greater pressure on other staff. Schools pay all their employees to teach or coach at their school – parents pay fees for the teachers to be at school. Schools are accountable to all parents not the few whose child may be good at sport. Similarly, as schools do not specialise in any one sport, especially at junior levels where pupils will play several sports, on different days, there simply is not time to have the extra pressure of greater national representation. 

Early national representation is not true national representation

The costs of national representation should not be at the expense of individuals but increasingly national representation is becoming a matter of money not talent. Players are selected if parents have the money. Some sports bodies will pay for their junior players but the money that national sports bodies may have, may be better used in developing and encouraging the game in all areas instead of taking a small group of privileged youngsters off to play matches in a sport which they may well soon give up. 

Recommendations 

If it may seem that CHISZ schools do not want their teams to do well – that would be far from the case, as is evidenced by the fact that it has been the CHISZ schools that have kept sport going in this country for many years. CHISZ schools take delight in the successes of our national teams and look on with further interest when their former pupils represent the country at the highest level. CHISZ schools are however simply against early national representation – instead they are for the ongoing development of the child’s sporting ability in conjunction with their other abilities. We support ongoing competition at junior levels – it does not have to be in matches against other countries. Preferably it would be within this country, within our existing seasons. We support ongoing coaching, again within this country and within our existing seasons. Players can be watched and noted but do not need to know that they have made a national level. We support ongoing clubs – the national sports bodies need to develop and strengthen clubs for our pupils to go on to after school, which will in turn strengthen the national player base and ability.

 A sporting philosophy 

Everyone looks to the Olympic Games as the ultimate sporting pinnacle (in a similar way as World Cups for other sports). Our sports bodies want us to compete at the highest level. Yet it is forgotten that the Olympic movement has as its first Fundamental principle the following: “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles. The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of man, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” (Olympic Charter, Fundamental Principles, paragraph 1, 2) How much of that philosophy is evident in our sports bodies? Furthermore, the Olympic catchphrase is “The most important thing is not to win but to take part.” We have now made it that ‘the most important thing is to be selected for your country not to develop’. It is interesting to note that the average age of Olympic competitors is going up – in some sports Olympic competitors were incredibly young but it has been seen that that has not helped the youngsters or the sport. They have recognised that pushing children at a young age does not work or help. The three core values of the Olympic Movement are stated as ‘Excellence, Friendship, Respect’ – we are so caught up in the first one that we ignore the others. The Olympic movement has as its motto: ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger’ – we have turned that into ‘Younger, Lower, Sooner’ Other world sports bodies are discovering the same. 

The FIH, hockey’s world governing body, has as its slogan: ‘Fair Play, Friendship, Forever’ – we have made it say ‘Excellence, Winning, Now.’ CHISZ schools endorse the drive for excellence in sport as we endorse excellence in all areas of life. It should be a huge honour to play for one’s country, but reserved for higher up the age scale. 

There is plenty of time for children to represent their country. We have to think of the youngsters as whole beings and of the youngsters’ whole life. It was a wise person who said that ‘whom the gods wish to destroy, they first call promising.’ 

Great things are promised to our pupils by early national representation but CHISZ will not allow our youngsters to be manipulated to their own detriment in the long term. – CHISZ

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