From the Competitive World to the Cooperative World
I spent the better part of my physical education teaching career fighting against the competitive nature of sports and fitness. In my classes, children learned cooperative games and activities which still had a competitive aspect but focused on teamwork. For example, partners might count how many times they could hit a ball back and forth, or how many passes they could complete in thirty seconds. Students played small group games such as 2-player kickball, or 2-on-2 soccer. There was no “standing around” waiting for a turn in my gym. My philosophy was that if children learn by doing, then they need to be doing.
In class, I taught students games they could play at home or at recess to improve individual skills, but the concept did not resonate with many of them. My students rarely played the games I taught them outside of my class. It felt like a losing battle. The world teaches us to be competitive even in non-competitive tasks. Who can read the most books? How fast can you recite your times tables? Who is the best speller in your school? Don’t just play the trumpet, be first chair.
Now that I have begun a second career as a writer, I believe I have found my niche. Writers support writers! Last weekend I attended the Georgia Writers Museum Writers Retreat in Eatonton, Georgia and you could not find a more diverse group. Attendees and presenters came from all walks of life. In attendance were more women than men, more Baby Boomers than Gen Zers, more fiction novelists than non-fiction writers, and more experienced writers than newbies and every one of them was there to learn, encourage, help, and teach, for the weekend and beyond. Lou Benjamin, co-founder, and current president of the Georgia Writers Museum said he’s never encountered a more supportive group of people than writers.
On my way to the retreat, I received the book Boys in the Boat, by New York Times bestselling author, Daniel James Brown, from Bob at The Crazy Book Lady Bookstore, where the owner, Stacey, shows her support of local writers with a collection of area writer’s books displayed prominently for all patrons to see. There is no finite number of successful writers. We know most of us will never achieve Nora Roberts, Stephen King, James Patterson, or J. K. Rowling’s status, but the success of my fellow writers does not mean I cannot succeed too. In the writer’s world, there is always room for one more book on the shelf.
Once home, I emailed a few presenters, thanking them for their time and information. Every single one of them responded within hours with more encouragement and a promise to help me in any way they can. Writers make me proud to be one of them. If somehow, in the algorithms of the world wide web, I can repay them, I want to express my gratitude to the writers I had the privilege of learning from last weekend. Thank you to these writers who have embraced me in their cooperative world—a world where everyone can be a winner. Please check out their sites.
Keynote Speakers:
Joshilyn Jackson, www.joshilynjackson.com
Love Hudson-Maggio, www.lovehudsonmaggio.com
Jennifer Moorman, www.jennifermoorman.com
Presenters:
Kristine Anderson, Crooked Truth, www.kristinefanderson.com
Beverly J. Armento, Seeing Eye Girl: A Memoir of Madness, Resilience, and Hope www.beverlyarmentoauthor.com
Chip R. Bell, Inside Your Customer’s Imagination plus 23 other books on creating innovative customer experiences www.chipbell.com
Melinda Farris, first novel almost ready for publication, www.melindasfarris.com
Rona Simmons, A Gathering of Men and The Other Veterans of World War II: Stories from Behind the Front Lines www.ronasimmons.com
Samantha Sorelle, The Gentleman’s Gentleman and five other M/M historical romances www.samanthasorelle.com
Friends:
Millicent Flake, Moving Beyond: Journeying Through Life’s Changes www.underthemagnoliatree.com
Ann F. Beach, MD, ready for publication, Sick Kids: Solving Medical Mysteries in Children (50 true stories of pediatric patients who arrived at the hospital with one diagnosis, and went home with another) www.annfbeach.com
Editor: Mari Ann Stefanelli www.thewritershigh.com What have you experienced in your line of work? Do you see more competition or cooperation? Please scroll down to comment.
February 22, 2024 @ 11:26 am
Loved what you had to say about competitive sports. I sure wish you had been my gym teacher, I always felt like a failure because I couldn’t be as good as the other kids. I love to play outside and I love to try different things but I was not as good as a lot of the other kids. I became a pretty good swimmer and a decent tennis player. I would never have classified myself as a great athlete but I loved sports and activities. I loved your approach, no wonder I like you!!
So glad you are enjoying your second career, a writer! Keep up your wonderful attitude and work ethic’s.
February 22, 2024 @ 8:09 pm
That always makes me sad when I hear stories of teachers who didn’t encourage their students in whatever the subject. I have a family member who had the same type of experience with an elementary gym teacher. It breaks my heart, but her experience coupled with mine made me sensitive to children who may not be so athletically inclined. Thanks for sharing your story. Isn’t it sad that something that a negative experience that happened so long ago is still so vivid in our memories? The opposite happens too. I am writing today because some of my teachers encouraged me to write in my younger days.
February 22, 2024 @ 1:44 pm
So happy you had a wonderful time at your writers conference, even if they had no after hours sessions
The Bible talks about how each member of the church body has its place, non too small, all working together as do different parts of a physical body. What good are your hands if your arms refuse to cooperate with them. And your feet if your legs go on strike!
I believe a cooperative spirit is part of the Godhead’s nature: it’s who they are! Each serving the other to accomplish the same purposes, goals and ultimate end product—Revealing their love in action between themselves and between us and them. Creating their beautiful and harmonious image back into fallen mankind! When we cooperate with them we become changed and in turn reach out to others to join in. A win-win! No one is a loser!
I’m thankful that writers practice this corporate spirit. They have something extra going for them regardless of how many books someone personally turns out! Yay for you and your team!
Ps…the boys in the boat is a fabulous read!
February 22, 2024 @ 8:01 pm
Thanks, Cheryl. Agreed. The cooperative approach is definitely a win-win! You wrote: “I’m thankful that writers practice this corporate spirit. They have something extra going for them regardless of how many books someone personally turns out! Yay for you and your team!” They are a special group for sure.
And yes, I loved THE BOYS IN THE BOAT. A friend recommended it a few years back, but I didn’t have my own copy. Now I have a large edition from a new friend.
As always, thanks for commenting. You always have something insightful to say.
March 5, 2024 @ 7:46 am
I appreciated your comment about The Boys in the Boat. Writers are all in the same boat, but we hold one another up as we sail along in smooth and rough waters… Thanks for blogging. So glad you could come to the retreat.
March 7, 2024 @ 9:11 pm
Thanks, Kristine. I love being in the boat with you and all the other writers I have met. It’s a nice little sail boat.
March 11, 2024 @ 11:06 pm
I don’t remember so much the competitive nature being emphasized in high school PE, just that it was the only class I couldn’t manage to get an A in. The bright side of blowing out my ACL my freshman year was that it exempted me from the remainder of the 3 years of required PE! I did rehab my knee by myself (with God’s healing hand!) to enable me to be able to hike and do yard work and enjoy brisk walking and most of what I need to do so long as I don’t try to play sports requiring sudden starting and stopping and pivoting. (So most team sports! Ha!) I would’ve loved to have you as my PE teacher!!
March 16, 2024 @ 12:51 pm
I enjoy reading your posts and I also still use the gloves and wool hat you so kindly gave me when I was freezing in the rainy day on my bicycle. Mark Anthony
March 16, 2024 @ 8:03 pm
Thank you, Mark. I was just thinking about you yesterday. Hope all is going well with you.
April 9, 2024 @ 9:32 am
In my experience as a teacher, I found only cooperation, as I worked with grade level teachers who only wanted success for their students. The same was experienced as I moved to an art teacher. My special areas team cooperated even more as we all worked together to make our classes fun, creative, and a means of exploring our students talents. We also hoped to show them we all are different with different talents.
I’m so glad you too see their are many authors with different styles of writing. In getting my own children to become interested in reading, it was important that they explore different authors to find what interests them. Not everyone is interested in Nora Roberts or Stephen King, and we all just have to take the time to explore and share with others the authors we find interesting and why. Also, at different times in our lives, we find different books more relevant. As a child, it was Dick and Jane. As a teenager, I like scary books, As an adult, scripture and faith based books are valuable.
Keep writing what God puts on your heart!
April 9, 2024 @ 1:58 pm
Some valuable points, Sherry. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the encouragement. I will do just that.