by Carol Bond

The three spokes on our wheel that is camp program are fun, safety, and spiritual impact. Competition should use all three spokes.

Games should be fun—easy to explain and understand with a minimal of rules, unique, involve everyone, include variety, be easy to succeed at for both the athletic and the not so athletic, look fun from the sidelines in both the color and size of the play.

Games should be safe—an element of risk and physical exertion balanced with safety. Recognize the vulnerability that results when a young person participates in an activity—that they might not do well—in front of an audience of their peers.

Games create an opening for spiritual impact. Be alert to the teachable moments that occur and set a godly example. When a person is participating,
that person has allowed himself to let down a barrier, especially if the emotions are involved. The game becomes a step in the process of spiritual impact.

Competition should not be viewed as an end in itself but a means to accomplish goals. Competition often results in a view behind the walls that an individual has put up. However, the game designer needs to not cause a crisis just for the sake of seeing behind that wall; also, he must be ready to deal with any crisis that may occur.

Competition Seed Thoughts
When your team is going against an opposing team, it’s called competition. When a member of your team goes against your team, he is called a traitor. Your team belongs to another much bigger team. Identify what team you are on and what other teams are with you on that bigger team. This knowledge will help you compete against the enemy instead of your team.

God is the one who commends. A danger of competition is that we will take our comparison of another team as the gauge of our success. Rather than looking sideways, we should look up to God for our commendation, challenge, and correction.

Common friendly competitions (e.g., board games, camp games, Sunday school campaigns, etc.) remain in the right place as long as losing is still fun. Winning can be more fun, but losing must still be fun.

Unity within a team must be managed in order to prevent the multiple small teams within from competing, envying, or distrusting.

Adventure, creation, variety, challenge, learning, exploration, and participation are ways to have fun without competition. Don’t rely on competition as your only method of motivation or fun.