SEE THE BIG PICTURE

Do you have to hate your opponent to play your best? No. People who need bulletin board material or a reason to dislike their opponent in order to play harder are externally motivated. Their focus is in the wrong place.

Competition is not about beating an opponent. Compete comes from the Latin “cum petere” which means “to strive together.” Rather than trying to defeat an opponent, you are inspiring their best effort and concentration which in turn inspires your best effort and concentration. This is the reason that players tend to have their best (most meaningful) performances against equal or slightly better competition. It raises their level of play and sharpens their focus.

Players tend to play to the level of their opponent. Instead, players and teams should strive to play to their maximum ability regardless of the opposition.

An opponent is like the clock in a sprint or the bar in the high jump. While there are other competitors in a sprint or the high jump, the true competition is against the clock or the bar. A high jumper cannot control her opponents; she cannot knock over the bar or interfere with their run up. If she sets her personal best at seven-feet, but competes against someone who jumps seven-two, she has no means of resistance. She can only control her own performance.

In a game like basketball, players have a little more power against an opponent than in an event like a sprint, the high jump or swimming. However, you often cannot control who you play. One game may be against a really good team and one against a really bad team. Whether playing teams far worse than you, or teams far better... the challenge is to approach each game with the same attitude, intensity and competitive level and perform to our high standards whether we win by 40 or lose by 40.

Beating an inferior opponent does not mean that we performed well or demonstrated improvement or learning from a previous point in the season. We should not play simply to win the game. Our intent should be to play hard and to play well and allow the score to take care of itself.

When competing, one’s focus should be internal, and the goal should be to maximize one’s talent and to perform to one’s highest standards in each and every game and drill. The opponent provides the resistance to enhance one’s performance.

(Thanks Brian McCormick)