The Element of Competition

As a kid growing up, you play sports simply for fun. Hours on end, day after day, my friends and I  would go out and play soccer the entire day all because we loved to do it. Why did we like it so much? I couldnt tell you, it was just fun. As you you grow though, that fun turns into something else. That same fun I was having also provided me with the tools to develop my skills and self confidence to the point I became a very good player capable of playing with the best young kids in the province. It was at this point where competition starts to enter the mix and friendly games of soccer turned into intense games where heated altercations were common. Winning became the name of the game and at all costs, even if it meant fighting with a friend or injuring an opponent.

That inner child in everyone still wants to go out on the field and have fun, not taking score, having a laugh and generally just enjoy yourself, but when you go out onto the field you know that is the exact opposite of what you will find. Competition changes peoples, I know it does for me and for many people who I have played with and against. I go from being a laid back, light hearted person off the field to very serious, aggressive, and at times malicious when I go on it. It is the persona that I had to cultivate in order to compete at any competitive level in soccer. Through years of coaching its been hammered into me, my friends and team mates that having fun isnt going to win you games, you have to fight and do whatever it takes to win.

One of the most contrasting on to off field personas I have ever met is that of a former team mate of mine in my teens whose name was Charles. He was literally the nicest guy, very caring, wouldnt hurt a fly, had never been in a fight, and was just your perfect kid off the field. As soon as he stepped onto the field though he becomes one of the fiercest competitors I have ever seen. He never really got angry on the field, but he was constantly in fights with the opposition because of the aggression and determination he played with. He would run through a brick wall to win the ball back, hurting anyone and everyone in his way and this attitude would see him get into many fights which he never backed down from. The coach always used him as an example to follow because he played with courage and fearlessness and wanted to win at any cost. Off the field where nothing was stake, Charles was one of the softest kids you would meet. The type who would cry when he got into a fight with his girlfriend, but throw in the element of competition and he becomes someone else, a mean person.

This is the cost of winning, decency goes out the window and ferocity is rewarded. They say you learn a lot of things from sports that can take you far in life. For me what I have learned is that the world like the soccer field is cut throat. Competition and those who are down for the fight and the struggle are the ones who will be rewarded. You cant be a nice guy and expect to get the results you want because there are people out there who will take advantage of kindness at the first opportunity.
The element of competition is what makes people the way they are. In an ideal world I bet we would all sing and dance around a campfire, but throw in a competition of some sorts and you will see what people are really about.