In response to hundreds of fan suggestions, next season, the NFL plans to present each team in the league the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end in honor of their participation. No longer will the archaic practice continue in which a singular “Champion” is proclaimed following the Super Bowl.
Rest easy, football fans, this is only a rhetorical example. Competition, regardless of the venue, serves as a litmus test to identify superior performance, be it on the gridiron, the battlefield, the corporate world, or academia.
Merriam Webster defines competition as, “The act or process of trying to get or win something (such as a prize or a higher level of success) that someone else also is trying to get or win: the act or process of competing.”
Competition offers a means to identify and rate performance, sometimes a critical and necessary action when the best is required to accomplish a particular activity or task. Additionally, competition can offer valuable lessons in both winning and losing with grace and dignity.
An inescapable presence in any contest against an opponent, competition is even observed on a primal level. Since the dawn of time, competition remains prevalent in nature and all that we do. It’s a fact of life, survival of the fittest, Darwinian at the core. Competition often is used as the yardstick to identify the better, more adept performer. This doesn’t indicate a lack of worth, inability or lesser value for the “loser” or losing team, yet that seems to be the perception in today’s climate. The term, “loser,” likely influenced through modern pop culture, now is viewed as a foul and inflammatory expression, yet it simply means that they didn’t win that contest or event!
In contrast, a concept becoming ever more prominent in America today is the idea that today’s youth somehow are victimized by competitive contests in which we differentiate between winners and losers. Proponents of this idea contend that events, including interscholastic sporting events, should be played for enjoyment, fitness, and the spirit of cooperation. Everyone plays, has fun, and earns a trophy notwithstanding effort, achievement, or that dreaded scoreboard. But what value or essential lessons does this offer to the individual, the institution, or society? Will this practice be implemented throughout American academia, business, industry, our armed forces?
Learning to Cope With Disappointment
The disdain of competition by some is indicative of today’s hypersensitivity. Our fragile egos and feelings seem to be growing ever more intolerant of disappointment or losses as measured by the W and L columns at the end of the sporting season. To some, such experiences are overwhelming, an emotional blow that inflicts irreversible trauma, a stress so unrelenting that one cannot endure. But that’s one reality that contributes to resiliency, learning to deal with and overcoming disappointment. The truth is, no matter how much we strive to protect our young, learning to cope with disappointment (e.g., competitive loss in this case) is a skill that should be embraced rather than shunned. Not everyone will win all the time, and some may not win any time. Let’s face it, that’s life, and sometimes the lessons are hard and unyielding. Learning to lose with humility is just as important as winning with grace. Both are learned behaviors that offer essential skills when appropriately leveraged.
How one copes with defeat involves many variables. Some view losing as having a negative impact on motivation and may deter effort. In such case, future opportunities may be declined, thus, eliminating the perceived threat and avoiding any chance of subsequent disappointment. Others may view it as an indication to further improve, learning from the defeat and striving to improve on skills deficiencies. Take for example the prevalent boxer, Manny Pacquiao, holder of 10 world titles in eight divisions, and the second-highest-paid athlete in the world. Clearly, this man is not accustomed to losing. However, that’s exactly what he did in back-to-back fights in 2012. He hadn’t lost a fight prior to 2005. Rather than retire, he went back to the gym and refocused in order to regain his dominance in the ring. Both reactions are valid depending on the conditions, the personalities involved, and influences of others. If drama ensues over a child’s loss, then certainly it’s viewed as a big deal, and learning reinforces that losing is a negative outcome and should be avoided. Clearly, nobody competes to lose.
Watch any playground, gymnasium, sports field, swimming pool, or gaming venue in which two or more individuals engage in a contest of intellect or physical prowess and you’ll witness competition, trophy or not. The practice or belief that everyone receives a prize or reward creates false expectations, an impractical vision of reality, and eliminates the otherwise valuable lessons learned through competition.
Target Behaviors of Winners and Losers
Competition is vital to our economy, our sovereignty, and our general way of life. It should be embraced and cultivated, not shunned. Conversely, behaviors of both winners and losers, especially the examples demonstrated by our role models (parents and family members), are arguably a more appropriate target of attention. The most valuable lessons of any competitive event are learned from observing those we most admire. Therefore, it is an inherent responsibility to set a positive example. No matter the level of competition or type of event, positive behaviors inevitably encourage and inspire respect, discipline, and humility. Just as each day ends in night, like it or not, there always will be winners and losers. And, regardless of the final tally, all will not go home with a trophy in the end.
References
Price-Mitchell, Marilyn (Jan 2012). The Psychology of Youth Sports; When Playing the Game Fosters Positive Outcomes for Kids. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 22, 2013 from: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-moment-youth/201201/the-psychology-youth-sports
Manny Pacquiao. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved December 22, 2013 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao’s record. (n.d.). Retrieved December 22, 2013 from: http://www.ask.com/wiki/Manny_Pacquiao#Professional_boxing_record
D. Carey Dixon is a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard with more than 12 of his 22 years on active duty committed to instructional delivery and leading learning and development programs in the Coast Guard’s formal training system. He attributes much of his success to the exemplary baseball coaches from whom he learned competitive lessons, values, and discipline in little league, high school, and college. Despite enduring losses, losing seasons and sometimes even ridicule, he survived. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect policy or position of the U.S. Coast Guard or any other agency of the U.S. government.
