Gender and sports: winning isn't everything

Apparently (as explained by Susan Pinker in her terrific book The Sexual Paradox) women respectfully disagree with Vince Lombardi and most males that "winning isn't everything. It's the only thing."  Apparently, women prefer "It's how you play the game."  Here's a true story from this season:

With two women on base, poor hitter (.157) Sara Tucholsky came up to bat in a crucial tournament college softball game. Heckled by boys in the stands up til now, Sara hits a home run.  But she injures her leg at first base and falls to the ground in pain.  She cannot make it around the bases. Without the home run, the team could lose the game.  Her teammates or coaches cannot assist her, according to the rules.

So the opposing team members carry Sara around the bases, knowing that this means they will lose and be out of the tournament. They are led in this by Mallory Holtmann, the greatest player in the opposing college's team history, in her senior year, her final game if they lose. People in the stands start crying.  No one can believe it.  Coach Gary Frederick, age 70, said later, "Never in my life had I seen anything like it. It was just unbelievable."  If you want to read more.

Comments

[Suzanne]

I also wonder how much being members of Generation Y impacted this event. I think that cohort is much more team-oriented and less concerned with being the one-and-only victor.