Do you worry about how fiercely your kids compete against each other when they play sports and other games? Back off, because you might just have a future champion on your hands.
At least, that’s the conclusion an article published July 8 on Slate draws about how sibling rivalry drove Andy Murray to become a professional tennis player and, on Sunday, Britain’s first men’s singles Wimbledon champion in 77 years.
The full article (excerpted from a long-form essay tracing Murray’s career from childhood) is here, but this passage gives you an idea of how the tennis champ’s early years are depicted:
"The Murray household and that of his grandmother were the scenes of hard-fought games from a young age. Swingball – a tennis game played with a ball attached to a pole by a cord – was the acme of sophistication in comparison to the rudimentary elements of catching and throwing that formed the basis of much of their childhood activity. The games always involved scoring. Someone had to win, someone had to lose."
Are your kids competitive? Do you encourage it, or are you concerned it goes too far? Any tips for dealing with sibling rivalry? Let us know in the comments.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
