At an Inter-Schools athletics event, the Heads of some of the schools were sitting in the shelter of a  marquee and were joined, uninvited, by a group of enthusiastic parents from one of the competing  schools as well as one of their coaches. Two incidents, in particular, stood out during the event.  

The first incident arose during one of the 800 metre races. One boy ran a superb race and had a  twenty metre lead as he ran down the home straight. However, when he was about thirty metres  from the finishing line, with the crowd cheering him on, he slowed right down, turned around and  with a smug smile on his face waved to those behind him to hurry up and try to beat him. The Heads,  the parents and the coach, all those in the marquee, indicated their displeasure and surprise at this  young man’s action. As the Head of the school which the youngster was representing was not  present at the event, the Heads agreed that one of them should speak quietly to the boy. So the  delegated Head went round to the recorder’s tent and away from the crowds and athletes had a  quiet word with him. He commended him warmly for running an excellent race but suggested that  there was no need whatsoever for him to display such arrogance in beating the opposition. The  young man acknowledged his error and apologised before shaking hands with the Head.  

The second incident occurred near the end of the event, during the exciting 100 metre relays. The  parents who had invited themselves into the reserved area sat up in their seats very attentively for  one of the relay races and it became clear this was the race in which their children were running.  The team of girls whose parents were in the pavilion also ran a magnificent relay race – fast,  powerful, graceful with slick takeovers. It is understood that they won the race – it was only  understood as those in the pavilion could not see the latter part of the race as the said parents ran  out of their seats to the side of the track in front of the other guests and blocked the view of all who  were trying keenly to watch the race. As the girls ran through the tape, the parents turned round to  those in the pavilion, bent their knees, raised their arms, punched the air and roared their pleasure  at the top of their voices – not once, not twice but at least three times. When a few moments later it  was announced that the race had been run in a record time, the said parents engaged in the same  performance of shouting, crowing, bragging – arms aloft, prancing around in front of everyone else,  punching the air. (Interestingly another school had already broken five records that day but no-one  had made a big song-and-dance about it.)  

After a while the parents and the coach returned to their seats (still uninvited) and settled down to  watch the rest of the races, very smugly. About ten minutes later, when the euphoria had settled  down slightly, one of the Heads who was sitting next to the parents turned to the parent and quietly  said, “Please excuse me saying this but all of us, including you, agreed that the young man in the 800  metres had acted inappropriately in his race earlier. Don’t you think perhaps that what you just did  was exactly the same?” The parent’s response was immediate. “Who the hell do you think you are to  tell me what to do?” he said. “I can do whatever I want. I can walk across the track if I want to.” And  for two minutes he spouted forth loudly and brashly.  

In one sense, the parent was absolutely right – he could do whatever he wanted; however, if he  knew anything about athletics he would have known he could not walk across the track and if he  knew anything about parenting he would know that children will look to their parents as an  example. The point of telling this story is to underline that in seeking to do sport well in Zimbabwe  we need to educate our pupils not just by developing their skills and ability but also by doing so with  correct values. The young man ran a superb race; he did not need to gloat, boast, taunt, mock,  belittle all those others who were also trying their heart out and showboat in front of the crowd to  ensure everyone saw and knew him. In fact, a true athlete would learn to run hard right through the  finishing line. But equally parents need to understand that they must mirror the same values that  the schools are seeking to inculcate in their children or else the children will continue in their  arrogance, blindness, insensitivity and make such occasions, and indeed life, a misery for others who  have an equal right to participate and enjoy. We must stop playing well badly.