Ahead of the 28th Dexy Co Children’s Marathon, a very interesting panel discussion titled “Rewarding Children in Sports” was held at the Tigrić Café in the Belgrade Zoo.
The panel was hosted by the “Novak Đoković” Foundation, with the support of the “Heroes of the Belgrade Marathon” Foundation.
The discussion featured Darko Habuš, Director of the Comtrade Belgrade Marathon, Andrija Gerić, sports psychologist and former volleyball player, and Nemanja Radović, Secretary General of the Belgrade Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities.
The panel was moderated by Ana Jovanović from the “Novak Đoković” Foundation, author of the program “Path of Champions.”
In a very engaging discussion, Darko Habuš, Director of the Belgrade Marathon, spoke about a special award given to the slowest participant in the final race of the Children’s Marathon, held on the famous course around the elephant enclosure.
“When we tell that child that they have received the ‘Super Snail’ award, even though they were the slowest, they are often happier than the winner. That is the moment we want to create for children.
Winning is not the most important thing — it is a phrase we often hear — but in this way we truly want to show them that participation is what matters most,” said Habuš.
“It is clear that in professional sport the result is the most important, but when it comes to children, the main point should be participation in sports activities and making an effort. Science tells us that adults should help children develop a growth mindset, which essentially means encouraging them to try and keep improving, because effort will eventually lead to results,” concluded Gerić, before adding:
“There are competitions today where everyone receives a medal, and I believe that is not the right approach. If everyone gets a medal, what message does that send? Whether you made an effort or not, you still receive a medal — and children remember that very easily, which may lead them to think that things in life work the same way. But that is not true.
My message to parents is to encourage and praise their children, but the focus should not be on the result; instead, it should be on participation and effort.”
Nemanja Radović, Secretary General of the Belgrade Sports Association for Persons with Disabilities, shared his perspective on this topic:
“Our association has existed for 53 years and brings together a large number of persons with disabilities. For us, the primary goals are the health and socialization of our participants, and that is why at our competitions everyone is considered a winner. Awards are very important.
At one of our athletics competitions, one participant finished fourth and did not win a medal, but he received a special participation award. When I placed that medal around his neck, he went outside the stadium and started jumping with joy,” said Radović, before adding:
The “Heroes of the Belgrade Marathon” Foundation will continue to cooperate with the “Novak Đoković” Foundation in the future on this and similar projects.
