I have constantly called it the “wussification” of America. It’s almost funny because with all the flaws and inequities in the American experience, one of the overriding principles of the American ideal is competition, fair play and to the victor goes the spoils.  

My six-year-old daughter has done gymnastics, soccer and ballet. My seven-year-old son has done baseball, flag football and soccer. At the conclusion of every one of those seasons, they had a pizza party and they all got a trophy. I always hated it but hey, they are kids right?  When my son played football, they didn’t keep score. Because of conversations we had before he played, he was always worried about the score. As the assistant coach for that team, we always told the kids, “We are not worried about the score, just make plays.” 

I finally gave in and told my son that I would help him keep track of scores as long as he didn’t talk about it with the other kids. 

I’m sure there is some professional out there with more acronyms behind their name than me that will suggest that I am doing the wrong thing. Maybe I’m a bad father. Maybe my kids will end up screwed up. Maybe I am taking my kids’ childhood away. 

I guess I have just never figured out the age when it all matters. I have always operated with the mindset of the following two paragraphs from the Competition chapter in my book, Sports for Life … 

“Competition is a part of life. You will compete for jobs, education, housing, and relationships. It does not matter if ‘Soft Hearts’ tell you that you don’t have to keep score, it’s all about having fun, doesn’t matter the outcome, as long as you try, do not believe them. Sometimes, you have to learn to try harder and try smarter. You will compete in every aspect of your life. You will compete to make athletic teams, band chairs, academic teams, scholarships, spouses, and jobs. 

“Competition is a good thing; one of the best things. Competition has been the catalyst for invention, success and people doing more than ever thought possible. Competition is a spirit, a prevailing attitude and a virtue of Americana that took man to the moon, brought down the price of computers, led man to fly and of course has taken sports to the forefront of society.”

 I guess I’ll figure it out at some point and I’ll either be wrong or right but more than likely a mixture of the two. It is something that is supremely personal and each family does it differently. 

I made a comment about youth sports on my radio show that I thought we are sending children bad messages when right around the corner they will have to compete for grades, jobs, scholarships and many other things. I had a caller call in get after me pretty good saying that I was going to mess up my kids. Me being the jerk that I can be sometimes, I told her that she could raise her kids any way that she wanted because someone had to work for my kids. 

While I didn’t have to be rude I really do think that teaching kids that everyone wins is a bad move. 

My son’s basketball team starts in January and I’m the head coach. I don’t know exactly how I am going to handle this “wussying” thing. I guess I’ll have to keep track in my head and talk to my kid once we get home. 

Excuse me if I have the weird, self-centered, off-center thought that maybe, just maybe not getting an award and seeing someone else win it will encourage them to work harder and work smarter. He battles for the highest marks in his class right now, why not battle at sports. 

Competing is great. Everyone doesn’t need a trophy or an award. If it is about participation then let it be about participation and let’s not give every kid the MVP award. 

Well maybe just skip my kid. Let him earn it. 

I know he will.

Individuals get the headlines but it is teams that win. Make no mistake about it, teams have to be created. 

When I was young, my parents bought me a book by Max Lucado named “On the Anvil.” While the Christian book was about molding and shaping a life much like a blacksmith molds and shapes steel, I have also considered this book when trying to build a team because I think it’s the same process. 

The start, the growth and some of the history that makes America a great place would of course foster these feelings, but Americans have a great love for the “Walter Mittys” of the world. Whether it’s Abraham Lincoln’s comments on the number common folk, Bill’s Gates entrepreneurship or the civil right movement’s desire to “overcome,” we love the story of the underdog.

 It’s why we love, from afar, the story of Major Applewhite. He is a kid that seemingly had little of the tangibles needed to play quarterback at the Division I level but willed himself through study, hard work and heart to great heights and success. 

On a different level, it is the reason that the 2005 season for The University of Texas was so special. Texas had a special team, no doubt. Anybody that was a fan of Texas, covered Texas in the media or spent 60 minutes across the field from Texas understood that this team was tough, talented and could play with anyone. That is not what made this team special though.

 The season for the 2005 Texas team took on a whole different value because it played the University of Southern California for the national championship. It was playing against a team that was being hailed as the best college football team in the history of the sport. USC had thunder and lightning at the running back spot with LenDale White and Reggie Bush. USC had two Heisman Trophy winners in the same backfield in quarterback Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. 

ESPN apparently had the foresight to offer up USC’s crowning achievement early with a countdown to the Rose Bowl named “History in the making,” a video tribute and commentary. The Longhorns were essentially an afterthought weeks before the game took place. 

For all of the “respect” that Texas got before that Rose Bowl with USC, it could never be seen as more that fleeting.

 Of course Texas collectively and Vince Young individually found success that night for one very simple reason. They refused to believe that they couldn’t beat USC and found a way to win. Even when things looked to be falling apart late in the fourth quarter, they had an amazing belief and they made it happen.

 There is still some thought out there that if those two teams played five times, USC would have won four of them. It’s similar to the story about the miracle on ice involving the 1980 US Hockey team and its victory over the Soviet Union when U.S. Coach Herb Brooks told his team, “If we played them 10 times, they might win nine. But not this game, not tonight! Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world.” 

The 2006 Rose Bowl is by far the best game that I have ever attended and it was for a couple of reason, but mainly because I learned a lesson that day when the eternal optimist that I am even began to underestimate the heart of a champion in that fourth quarter. I learned that you can never really measure the resolve of a team, the desire of a team or predict the success of a team that loves and plays for each other. 

That is why I have always kicked back against the “Mack Brown caught lighting in a bottle and won a championship” group. What that 2005 team had can’t be caught or taught. It is a special collection of talents, attitudes and desire that when coupled with the right leadership leads to special things. 

Being a team is so much more than the pieces that make it up. There is no doubt in my mind that the New York Yankees have had the best collection of talent over the last five years in baseball. Why is it that they have not won the World Series? Simply that, they have been a collection of talent. 

It is the reason that Remember the Titans was made into a movie and is such a great story. It’s the story of a collection of individuals and cultures that over time learn to care about each other, learn to play for each other and consider the welfare of the team more important than the success or the race of the individual. 

I heard a coach tell his team, “Whether you like your role is not is not really relevant. What is important to understand is that we all have a role to play.” 

It is harder to build a team now than ever before. Players don’t really like to talk about roles. With the individuality of awards, the money in sports and amateurs trying to perform at a level to get the money, it’s hard to talk about sacrifice, team and the greater good. The collection of cultures, races and mindsets that are gathered up to put the best talent in a position to win is staggering. 

We saw the team concept at work in 2005 for Texas and just two short years later, something seems to be wrong. It is not too dissimilar from the 2003 season when a transition of leadership was taking place from some older guys to the red-shirts from the 2001 recruiting class and to the recruiting class of 2002.

 You have to hope that Mack Brown’s circling the wagons in this bowl preparation will be good for the program. There are not many better coaches that can go “Tupac” and take on the “Me Against the World” attitude and make it work for his team. Mack Brown has done it time and time again. You just have to hope, if you are a Texas fan that this works.

 Having a collection of talent that underachieves is worse than not having the talent to compete. 

The talent is on campus and coming to campus. It is absolutely amazing to me that I can even write this about a team that is 9–3 when schools around the country would give anything to have the sustainable record that Mack Brown and

 Maybe Mack Brown has become a victim to his own success. 

Maybe Mack Brown is like every other coach, CEO and leader in this country. People want more, demand more and expect more and won’t really settle for anything less. 

He earns his money.