Competitiveness is generally thought of as a positive trait for an athlete to have, and to a large extent it is. However, if left unchecked it can turn into a dark cloud that looms over an athlete and can dramatically impact their longevity. It is important for athletes to orient themselves correctly towards competition to constantly improve upon their own skills rather than compare themselves to others. Competitive orientation is often a focus of mental performance interventions and for good reason. Many athletes become so focused on their rankings, standings, and place that they forget the process that underlies all competitive sport: constant personal improvement. Being overly concerned with winning can go wrong in both directions: when you are winning and when you are not. On the other hand, the athlete who is concerned with performing at their best can benefit from both their wins and losses.
Competitiveness is the desire to challenge and beat an opponent. If left here, there is little room to debate that competitiveness is a good thing. However far too often we as athletes take it a step further and attach our mood, self-worth, confidence, and other factors on the outcomes of a competition. An athlete could want so badly to win, that they get wrapped up in a single failure and can’t move past that loss. Even worse, we can sabotage future performances because of one competitive failure. In event sports such as swimming and track, an overly competitive athlete who does not win or beat their desired opponent may have a much harder time competing in future events. This ‘win or I’m a loser’ attitude can dramatically increase burnout and reduce an athletes enjoyment of the sport.
The opposite is often the case as well. An athlete may be so dominant in their current field that they become complacent and stagnate. This often happens with younger athletes who physically develop more quickly than their peers. These athletes are so focused on winning, which comes easily to them, that they do not see the bigger picture of constant self-improvement. This strategy works so long as this athlete is dominant. However most athletes who progress through their sport find a level where everyone else is as skilled as they are. As soon as this previously dominant athlete is no longer winning every competition they will severely struggle because they never had to learn from mistakes and improve.
An athlete who is more oriented towards self-improvement and growth will find value in winning and losing. They are concerned with performing at their best regardless of the competitive situation. They could be running next to Usain Bolt, an impossible opponent, but still set a PR. An athlete solely focused on winning would look at their opponent and give up. If badly beaten, the growth oriented athlete will identify errors and gameplan to fix them in the future and not ruminate in the failure as another athlete may. Athletes should approach all competition as a test of their own ability as compared to others testing theirs. If you are truly a competitor, you will know the only way to beat your opponents is to develop your ability beyond theirs.
It is important to stay in control of your own competitive mindset and make it work towards your advantage. Make the desire to beat your opponent at the forefront of training and your own process of improvement. Always remember that the point of competition is to make yourself better to enhance your skills. Even if you lose a match, you can learn and grow from it rather than suffer from the loss. Do not allow your competitiveness to lower your ability to compete. In sports, future wins outweigh past losses, having the correct growth orientation towards competition will help ensure future success and a fulfilling career!
Leave a Reply