The Growing Crisis Of Excessive Encouragement

There was a time when athletic competition contained useful information.

You played.

You won or lost.

The result communicated something.

Today, recreational pickleball has developed a troubling resistance to feedback.

Every shot is “great.”

Every rally is “awesome.”

Every missed overhead apparently deserves emotional support.

Last week I watched a player hit three consecutive returns directly into the net.

His partner responded:

“Love the idea.”

What idea?

The ball traveled four feet.

Historically, unsuccessful shots were identified as unsuccessful.

This allowed improvement.

Modern recreational culture appears determined to eliminate this system.

The result is a sporting environment where encouragement has become disconnected from observable events.

I am not advocating cruelty.

I am advocating accuracy.

Not every point requires affirmation.

Occasionally a ball is simply out.

Occasionally an overhead is simply missed.

And occasionally your partner’s “great idea” was, in fact, a terrible one.

This did not require clarification in tennis.