TOEFL® essay: Playing a game is fun only when you win.

[Dancingqueen]

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Playing a game is fun only when you win. use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Playing literally is all about sportsmanship. Playing is an acitivity undertaken to rejuvenate and recreate. Playing games helps shift our focus from problems to solutions sometimes. It also soothes our emotions and improves our emotional and critical thinking skills.

I disagree to the statement that playing a game is fun only when one wins. Games should not be played for the mere fact of winning or loosing. They should instead be played for fun and sustaining high and positive spirit and energy levels. Playing a game is good de-stressor. Moreover, it is nearly impossible to win all the time. If winning all the time was so easy than teams would become complacent. In my view, winning or loosing is just part and parcel of the whole game. In fact, in some cases loosing is the first critical step to a prospective win. In addition, resorting to a foul play or cheating just for mere wining is cheap and not the right sportsman spirit. A person who plays real and fair may sometimes loose but may always win in his head and heart. He may not receive a medal or and adulation initially but may certainly earn good grounds.

Furthermore, it is indeed enticing to win but as they say, "failures are the pillars of success". A person who fails or loses may learn important lessons of life. One of these being, to " win some , you got to loose some". Additionally, fear of loosing a game is actually like loosing it. We all know that player of national and international sports team are put through rigorous and strenuous mental and physical tests and excersices. They are refined to be not only physically strong but be mentally trong as well. Loosing or winning should not be the objective of keeping the morale high during the game.

I would like to share an incident of the past here. It was in my school year that we were preparing for an inter school hockey tournament. Our team had really slogged for the event. We all were sure of our success. Our coach was a brilliant facilitator who gave us a motivational speech before the game and tried to prepare us for either circumstances. However, unfortunately we lost and had to suffer a lot of negative publicity and booing. This incident was a little shaky for our team. We tied all our loose ends and prepared even harder for the next year tournament. Our failure the previous year became the foundation for our victory the very next time. A failure to perform initially put the team thinking of our strengths and areas of improvements. We enforced our win with a better strategy next time.

To conclude, playing the game and the art of its deliverance should be the real focus. Winning or loosing are just by products. Playing a game is important only when it improves creativity and the abilities to perform in a certain manner. Rest all can be redefined.

TOEFL listening discussions: What will the secretary do next?