Yesterday difficult child did get to go to his wrestling tournament. difficult child is so inexperienced compared to other kids his age-most have been doing it for many years-this is difficult child's 3rd year and he hasn't won a match since his first year and then it was only two. Fine with us and difficult child tries hard.
After he wrestled the first guy and was pinned quickly he said he would probably take last place. We told him as long as he tried his best we were proud. He said he does (and from watching him you know it's true). The next two matches he didn't get pinned but lost on points. The last match the boy was really good-had pinned the others in the first round, he's been to state. difficult child wrestled him into the second round (I'm guessing the child may have decided to give difficult child more of a chance to wrestle).
After, the dad went up to talk with difficult child, told him to keep trying hard, etc. Told difficult child his son had been wrestling for 9 years. Anyways I went to collect coats and things while husband hung out with difficult child to get his medal for 5th place.
Next thing I see is difficult child carrying out a first place trophy and wondered what was going on-I wouldn't have put it past difficult child to have asked for it. husband said the boy approached difficult child and asked if he would be willing to trade his medal for the trophy. husband told the boy that was very nice but that he had earned the trophy and difficult child would need to work on earning his own. The dad said it was fine-that his son had lots of trophies.
You wouldn't believe the grin on difficult child's face! We talked to him about how he could look at it as a first place for effort and being a good sport and that he could use it as a goal for what he wants to accomplish. I hope that boy has some idea of how happy he made difficult child.
After he wrestled the first guy and was pinned quickly he said he would probably take last place. We told him as long as he tried his best we were proud. He said he does (and from watching him you know it's true). The next two matches he didn't get pinned but lost on points. The last match the boy was really good-had pinned the others in the first round, he's been to state. difficult child wrestled him into the second round (I'm guessing the child may have decided to give difficult child more of a chance to wrestle).
After, the dad went up to talk with difficult child, told him to keep trying hard, etc. Told difficult child his son had been wrestling for 9 years. Anyways I went to collect coats and things while husband hung out with difficult child to get his medal for 5th place.
Next thing I see is difficult child carrying out a first place trophy and wondered what was going on-I wouldn't have put it past difficult child to have asked for it. husband said the boy approached difficult child and asked if he would be willing to trade his medal for the trophy. husband told the boy that was very nice but that he had earned the trophy and difficult child would need to work on earning his own. The dad said it was fine-that his son had lots of trophies.
You wouldn't believe the grin on difficult child's face! We talked to him about how he could look at it as a first place for effort and being a good sport and that he could use it as a goal for what he wants to accomplish. I hope that boy has some idea of how happy he made difficult child.
So nice to hear. You know, some fanatic parents with kids in sports could learn something from that example.
