Winning is great, but sometimes participation is the real trophy. As students, it is normal to want to win the shining prize everyone has their eyes on, but in the larger scheme of things, winning may not be all it is hyped up to be.

From the classroom to the ground, so much happens in the International Baccalaureate schools in Bangalore. Every day, there is a new activity or competition to participate in, and most, if not all, students compete with one intention – winning. However, this thought process is often just a tunnel view of what it really means to participate and compete in an event.

Many students tend to hold themselves back because they are afraid of losing. They are plagued by the thought of not winning. But here is the thing – Participating is more important than winning. While we are busy chasing the trophy, we ignore the real prize, which is the transformative experience of showing up and putting yourself out there to learn, unlearn, and re-learn who you are and what you are capable of. 

In this blog, we will discuss why participation matters more than winning and how it can meaningfully contribute to the development journey of students. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

Why Participating is More Important than Winning?

What is success? If your answer is winning, we may need to redefine the meaning.

Success is not just about coming in first. Rather, it is about the courage to try something new and the resilience to get back up after a fall. If, after participating in something, you are a bit wiser than you were before, then THAT is a success! 

While winning is about lifting the prize, participation is about personal growth, skill development, and the joy of the experience. Participating is more important than winning because it opens up a world of possibilities for students. 

The IB curriculum offers a host of opportunities that encourage students to participate in as many things as possible. It enables you to develop critical skills, which is definitely a win in the long game of life! For example, a student who tries out for the captain of a sports team but can only become a team member is not a failure. Instead, they are a success because they stepped out of their comfort zone, practised their skills, learned to handle disappointment with grace, and still made it to the team! 

Benefits of Participating for Students and Their Development

Sometimes, success is all about showing up and learning from your experience. But if you are not convinced, here are some benefits that prove participating is more important than winning! 

Building Resilience

You cannot describe life with a single adjective. It can get messy, beautiful, and often challenging. While there will be victories, chances are there will be more “almost wins” and even failures. It is important to build resilience to keep up with the various facets of life and what it throws at you.

Participation in various activities at school provides a safe and controlled environment for students to experience both success and failure. They learn to navigate the disappointment of a loss or a poor performance. Focusing on participating ensures that each experience becomes a lesson. It enables you to build resilience to get back up and try again for the outcome you want. 

Overcoming the Fear of Failure

One of the most significant barriers to participation is the fear of failure and the fear of looking foolish. This fear prevents students from trying new things and exploring their potential. From avoiding raising their hand in class to joining a club, a lot of students take a step back due to this fear.

However, when you start participating just for the fun of it, the focus shifts. The IB Middle Years Program encourages students to participate and focus on learning and having fun. When winning is no longer the sole purpose, the fear of failure is easily overcome.

Improves Confidence and Self-Esteem

Confidence is built on a foundation of competence and one’s belief in oneself. Every time a student participates in an activity, they add a brick to this foundation. Participating allows you to celebrate small wins, and as they accumulate over time, there is greater confidence in one’s ability to perform something well.

Developing a Growth Mindset 

The focus on participation over winning is the very essence of a growth mindset. It strengthens the belief that one’s abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work. When students are praised for their effort, perseverance, and willingness to try, it improves their motivation to do better. This helps them develop a growth mindset where they see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.

Improving Interpersonal Skills

Active participation in classroom and school events also allows students to develop their interpersonal skills. Team sports, drama clubs, community service projects, and even group assignments allow you to meet new people and interact with them. This way, students learn to communicate their ideas and develop the ability to listen to other perspectives with patience. It also helps develop skills to negotiate, compromise, and work collaboratively towards a common goal. Students also get to learn about being a supportive team player as well as a strong leader. Such valuable skills are greatly beneficial when students enter the real adult world.

Developing Sportsmanship

When students participate in activities with their peers, they do not just interact with them; they also learn from them. They see their peers’ strengths and weaknesses, their victories, as well as their struggles. This fosters a sense of empathy and compassion that is hard to develop in a purely competitive environment. Furthermore, participation also teaches sportsmanship. It’s about celebrating the success of others, being a gracious loser, and respecting the rules and the spirit of the activity. It enables one to enjoy their growth journey as well as the journey of otters.

Discovering Hidden Passions and Talents

How do you know if you have a passion for writing if you’ve never picked up a pen? How would you know unless you tried? Participation enables one to discover hidden passions and talents. At good IB schools in Bangalore, students try out a wide range of activities and get the chance to explore interests they never knew they had. Participation enables students to explore their potential in activities they have never tried. This can often lead to students discovering things they genuinely enjoy doing, just for fun, as hobbies. 

Understanding Yourself Better

Participation is not just about developing skills; it is also a powerful mirror that reflects to us our strengths and weaknesses. Students often discover what kind of person they are after they have participated in something. They might discover they are a natural leader or that they are a great negotiator. Participation brings in self-awareness which is crucial for personal growth. It allows students to lean into their strengths and work on their weaknesses to build a more accurate understanding of who they are and what they are capable of.

To Sum Up

Participating is certainly an important part of the journey for a student. It can take them on a path to self-discovery and personal growth. At OWIS India, we organise various activities and encourage students to participate so they can explore the goldmine of their hidden talents and skills. 

We put our efforts towards developing students into resilient, empathetic, and self-aware adults. We truly believe participating is more important than winning because it teaches lessons beyond the classroom.  The real winning is in trying and learning, and we do our best to facilitate that for our students. To know more about our methods, contact us today!