Animal Instinct
Competitive Nature in Sports
As human beings why do we compete? And why is it important? Think about it. Of all the living things on earth competition is something that strongly exists in nature. It’s a huge part of the process of life in every living form. For example, when I spent a summer abroad in Costa Rica we learned about the different species of trees in the rain forest. The forest is so incredibly dense that trees close to the River are actually only a few years old. They grow extremely close to the river bank because directly above the river is the area with the most access to sunlight. The trees have to grow incredibly fast because if not, they will not be able to access the sunlight necessary to survive in the density of the canopy. Another classic example at the microscopic level is competing cells. Sperms cells will compete to be the first to fertilize the egg, as I am sure everyone learned in health class growing up. In the animal kingdom, there are dozens of examples. Famously, male birds of paradise will compete with other males by building elegant displays, dancing, and giving possible mates gifts to win their affection. Carnivores will compete for food. Predators will compete for territory. In many animal species, alphas will compete to win leadership rights over the group or the herd. Whether it’s the right to mate, the right to eat, or the right to be declared as the alpha, competition is very prevalent in the animal world. But as human beings, we don’t need to do any of these things (though I’m sure people have). The point being, in a civilized world where we have supermarkets, online dating apps, and appointed government officials, it would seem that the need to compete that exists in the animal kingdom doesn’t apply to us humans. So again, why do we do it?
Well the answer was previously stated. We as humans compete because of evolutionary traits that were passed down from our early ancestors. Though we as humans don’t have to compete in the same manner as say a Lion, or an Elephant Seal, doesn’t mean that our early human predecessors didn’t. Dave Williams describes the main reasons humans enjoy competition and the idea of winning in his linkedIn article describing the ‘ego-centric’ personality. He lists 5 reasons this persists in human society: 1) Evolution - competition, as we know, was needed in early human days, and the humans with the high drive to compete passed those traits down their lineage. 2) Socialization and Upbringing – many cultures throughout human history value competition. They value achieving success, recognition, and status. 3) Cultural Influences – similarly to the previous reason, individualism, ego-centric tendencies, and self-interest are highly valued in some cultures, and they will go so far as to foster these characteristics. The Greek Spartans are a famous example of this reason. 4) Psychological Factors – Some ego centric individuals are pre-disposed to seeking validation, and have a strong need for recognition or power. Other factors such as low self-worth, scarcity mindset, and fear of failure also contribute to the need to intensely compete. 5) Societal Structures and Incentives – in our economic system of a capitalist society, as well as other hierarchal structures in modern society, reward individuals for achievements, which fosters this trait. This was a fascinating read. I am obviously paraphrasing, but there are some great truths in Mr. Williams’ piece https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-we-compete-dave-williams#:~:text=In%20many%20cultures%2C%20competition%20is,values%2C%20beliefs%2C%20and%20behaviors.
So it begs the question, is it nature or is it nurture? Based on what Mr. Williams claims, it’s a little bit of both. I would consider myself a competitive person. I have learned how to relax that part of my ego in my adult years, but growing up I loved to compete. Scratch that. Let’s take it all the way back to my childhood. I don’t think I was that unlike a lot of other kids, but I probably wasn’t always the ‘best sport,’ especially when I was really young. I remember getting so upset if I lost a game or something that I would pout or cry. Maybe not every time, but definitely if time wore on, I would get increasingly upset. I remember playing ‘Pig’ with my dad all the time out in the driveway, and losing constantly. I know there are a couple schools of thought when it comes to parenting. You can either let them win once and a while, or do the thing where you never let them win. On the one side, maybe allowing your child to win lets them have fun and builds confidence, but on the other side, you are teaching them to work hard and practice to achieve something. That is the reality of the competitive world; there are no ‘gimmes.’ I wish I remember what side my dad was on. I wish he were still around for me to ask him. I know by the time I was in HS I could beat him regularly at basketball, but as a little kid I honestly don’t remember ever winning at ‘PIG.’ He and I used to play racquetball at ‘Gold’s Gym,’ every Saturday morning for years. Even when I had gotten pretty good (beat my entire lacrosse team in a tournament freshman year in college), I never beat my dad one time. That I do remember.
I loved Lacrosse because it allowed me to compete. I liked playing defense because I knew if someone wanted to score a goal, they had to get by me. It didn’t matter if they were some scrub attackman or a Division I commit, they still had to be good enough to run by me, and I think the idea that I could win a 50/50 matchup made it so much fun. I wanted to be perfect. I knew it was impossible, but I never wanted the guy I was guarding to score a goal. And if it happened, I would get pissed, and do everything in my power to not allow it to happen a second time. I think it’s the same reason why I love coaching. My body won’t allow me to compete on the same level now, so I can try my best by proxy with my brain and my athletes. Coaches love guys that love to compete. That has to be true in every sport. And again, is it nature or is it nurture? Well I would say that there are definitely guys that are not as competitive as I am, but I think it is, like other skills, something that can be developed. How to do that is probably a subject for another time. If you are a coach, save yourself some time and make sure you recruit competitive kids, because 4 years might not be enough time to develop that part of their ego.
Anyone seriously interested in playing at the college level will need to evaluate their love of competition. We put so much emphasis on size, speed, stick skills, IQ, etc. Competition can’t be overstated. I just think the college game demands so much more. It is so much more physically and mentally unforgiving, that it really separates a lot of good lacrosse players from the great ones. I think there are a lot of parents and HS coaches out there that think their kids are competitive dogs on the high school field. What you don’t realize is you can get by as a HS player with good skill and average competitiveness because of the uneven level of play. A lot of those kids get to college and they turn out to be puppies. They don’t really want to turn the corner. They don’t really want to do what it takes to get the ground ball. They don’t love competing every rep in practice. A lot of value is placed on what these guys think it means to be tough, but not actually tough. They see the PLL guys on TV and want to wear the tiny elbow pads like them. They don’t realize how physically gifted these guys are. It’s not about looking cool at the college level. If I had to choose between a highly skilled athlete that looks good in uniform, wears the small pads and doesn’t dodge hard, or a less skilled player, that has second bar syndrome, wears the biggest arm pads, shoulder pads, rib pads, and runs through every stick check, I’m taking the second kid every time.
Coaches should do what they can to promote competitive drive. Practices should have a healthy mix of competition drills or ‘juice drills’ as we sometimes refer to them as. You need to promote and foster competition, while at the same time, find out who on your team is really competitive and who isn’t. You could have some great lacrosse players on your team that just don’t want to compete that hard. Look for guys that look good on the first and last reps, but shy away in the middle. Look for offensive guys that dodge away from their defender. Look for attackmen that don’t finish in front of the cage. Look for Defensive short sticks that throw checks rather than meet guys with their hands. Look for goalies that play hard in 6’s but won’t try in tougher drills, like ‘Genny.’ Don’t worry about defensemen; they’re likely your most competitive players (jk). Those individuals might be able to contribute in certain games or could fill 2nd line roles. But these players shouldn’t be the field in the 4th quarter of a big game. Remember to be honest with people about their status. Guys that are disgruntled will inevitably ask about more play time. Be prepared to share that other guys on your roster are just more consistently competitive in practice, which shows that they are more engaged in wanting to be a contributor of team success, than simply getting on the field. Ego is good. You have to have some of that intrinsic drive for individual success, as Dave Williams pointed out. But it will be obvious to you and your staff which guys love to compete because its lacrosse and they love it, and guys that just want to get on the field. Coaches don’t like ‘gamers,’ meaning someone that doesn’t compete hard in practice but suddenly turns on their competitive drive in a game setting because there is more “on the line,” etc. That might work in youth sports, but in college, it will not be something that coaches can distinguish between. There is no, “I play harder in a game” mantra, because at the next level, coaches know that is not a real competitor. A real competitor wants to win at everything he does, no matter how big or how small. If you want to know what this looks like, watch Michael Jordan in the Documentary, “The Last Dance.” I’d want that guy on my team, no matter what sport we were playing.
KASEY BURST
The HC at the University of Dubuque, Kasey brings all things college lacrosse to your inbox.
Great stuff!