Do you COMPETE or do you COMPARE?

As a high school coach for over 25 years my view of COMPETITION has changed. My own successes and failures have taken me on quite the journey. As a young coach my view of COMPETITION was driven by some motivation to “prove myself.” To who? I don’t really know. As a veteran coach my view of COMPETITION has shifted to the fact that it is part of the process of growth. Getting better is really fulfilling!

If you lead a group of young people in any arena that involves COMPETITION, I think it is really important that you evaluate your view of COMPETITION. Is it healthy? Is it a view that gives life to your program or a view that weighs your program down?

At FREE2COMPETE, we aren’t going to shy away from COMPETITION or try to minimize its importance. After all, the word COMPETE is in our name. When we work with athletes we are quick to tell them that COMPETITION is part of life. You’ll COMPETE for a role on your team, a job, your future spouse, the attention of your children, and the list goes on. So if it is so prevalent in life, we better have a healthy relationship with it, because it isn’t going away. When approached from a healthy perspective COMPETITION can be used to help mold you into the best version of yourself as a player and, more importantly, a person.

So let’s explore the topic of COMPETITION in this month’s resource.

DO YOU COMPETE or DO YOU COMPARE?

Brett Ledbetter and his crew at WHAT DRIVES WINNING have had a big impact on how we view COMPETITION at FREE2COMPETE. Check out this video (~8 ½ minutes) to get us started.

In the video who shares this image, which we’ve added a simple little equation to.

Brett Ledbetter helps us understand that when we get in COMPARISON mode through COMPETITION that is like a cancer that spreads through us and has a negative impact. However if we have a HEALTHY view of COMPETITION, seeing our COMPETITOR as a sparring partner who makes us better, that can be empowering!

A HEALTHY vs UNHEALTHY VIEW OF COMPETITION

When we work with a team, athlete, or coach in developing their perspective of COMPETITION, we often work through these slides.

After talking through this slide, we will follow up with the following questions:

• Which description bests represents your typical view of COMPETITION?

• When you play/perform closest to your potential, which view of COMPETITION best represents your mindset?

• Which view of COMPETITION would be an ASSET for you? Explain.

• Which view of COMPETITION would be a LIABILITY for you? Explain.

This slide illustrates the underlying foundation that each perspective of COMPETITION is build on.

When we get caught up in comparison or winning/losing in the unhealthy view of COMPETITION it is most often rooted in us needing to protect our ego. A need to be recognized as good or successful. It often indicates a FIXED mindset in athletes. If your team’s culture takes this view, it often becomes a ceiling that will stop you from reaching your potential as a group.

When we are rooted in view of COMPETITION that is build on a foundation of “striving together,” the focus is on being better than we were yesterday! This view often indicates a GROWTH mindset in athletes. If your team’s culture takes on this view, it often becomes the firm footing that is needed to push through hard times, setbacks, and challenges!

TAKE THIS TO YOUR TEAM

I think this topic should be covered in 2 sessions.

The first session should focus on showing the video and having a discussion as a team about what they took away from that video.

The second session should focus on working through the slides about a HEALTHY vs UNHEALTHY view of COMPETITION. This conversation should include the question “Which of these views best characterizes our team? Explain.”