Dear Dr. Durtschi,
I’m heavy into outdoor sports competition and as I progress I find I am comparing myself and my times/finishing place – with those of my competitors. For instance, in an upcoming duathlon I’m thinking that I might just be able to edge out a guy I know who has recently finished a similar race with a time not much better than some of my recent training efforts. My coach has me looking at who my close competition might be also. But now I am hearing from some other experienced folks that comparing oneself to other competitors, chasing them in the race, and trying to predict my outcomes is self-depreciative. You’re the sports guru, what do you think?
Com Pare’
Dear Com Pare’,
Sounds like you take your competition seriously and you put hard effort into your physical training. A duathlon is a specialized event consisting of running and biking. Your level of athletic ability is in the process of consistent fine tuning. An Individual who puts as much commitment into their sport as you do will experience constant challenges.
You are about to enter a major competition. It will be a test; a huge test of your ability. It is natural human behavior to question and raise doubt. Focusing on a rival who may or may not be better allows you an excuse for not reaching your own potential. Do you want the “other guy” to beat you after all your hard training, sacrifice, and commitment? He can and he will – if you let him.
The number one factor recognized in performance success is the competitor’s confidence in oneself. Every thought, feeling, or behavior you have directly affects whether you are confident in your ability to compete. Do you believe in yourself? Are you doing everything physically, emotionally, and strategically to perform at your best? If so, it doesn’t matter what your competitor is doing. You cannot control his preparation for the competition. So, why waste energy worrying about it. It is directly draining you of your focus and ability to perform at your potential.
There is something to be said for naïveté’. You know, just going to the race and giving it all you’ve got—not thinking and just doing what you love for the feeling of giving it your all in competition. I remember when I began running marathons I knew little about training and even less about my competition. I won, because I had the heart for the competition and I was good at what I did. The more I knew about my competitors the more it affected my performance. I found myself ‘thinking’ about where I should be against my competitors. Those negative thoughts directly limited my potential to do well. I could psych myself right out of the place and performance I otherwise deserved.
I have always been a supporter of the underdog attitude: “got nothing to lose and everything to gain.” Pat Riley, NBA coach of the Miami Heat, gave his athletes this alternative; you can “play to win” or you can “play not to lose”. Do you want to spend your competitive career chasing the “other guy” or do you want to be out there leading the pack. It is a matter of attitude and a change in focus. I believe you have the potential to do either. The choice is yours…
Cal Botterill, Health and Performance Psychology Professor at University of Winnipeg, Canada and consultant to seven Canadian Olympic teams and five NHL hockey teams offered these words: “At its best, competition can trigger the drive to excel – to realize our human potential. Excellence is competition’s best ally! The comparative nature of competition can easily make us self–centered, judgmental, envious, and negative in our rivalries. These effects can interfere with our focus and ability to perform optimally.
Our own insecurities make us prone to difficulties with competition. If we are too preoccupied with self–esteem, we become too self–centered, fearful, and worrisome. We end up focusing too much on ourselves, competitive outcomes, and comparisons, rather than on the performance task. Truly, self–acceptance is more important than self–esteem for the athlete. We need to know who we are, why we are competing, and what we are doing as a competitor. Only when we are able to accept and claim our own identity will we be able stride forward and pass by our competition. As a top athlete you can be humble and respectful, comfortable with yourself.
Every athlete who is on the edge of breaking through to a higher level of competition has to face their fear of success. The philosophical quest involves dealing with the consequences of one’s own greatness and ones’ ability to maintain or sustain consistency in their competitive environment. Dr. Doug Newberg Sport Psychology Consultant at University of Virginia Medical School found in his study of Resonance that the essence of the competitive challenge is learning ways to “keep one’s desires greater than one’s fears.” Totally focus on your performance potential and you will be successful.
My favorite role model is Coach John Wooden known as the ‘Wizard of Westwood.’ He led the UCLA Bruins to 10 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships in 12 years and his team won 88 consecutive games. He developed the Pyramid of Success (14 building blocks) which resonate his coaching beliefs. He never talked about winning, instead he believed in developing athlete talent through focused preparation. A couple of examples of his building blocks are Industriousness –“Success travels in the company of very hard work. There is no trick, no easy way;” and Confidence – “The strongest steel is well founded self-belief. It is earned not given.” If you follow his guidelines you will be a winner. Why, otherwise limit your potential.
Regardless of how good you are, you can always work on improving your race plan. Mental skills are helpful tools comprised of goal setting, positive self-talk, imagery, emotional regulation, mental toughness, pre-competition preparation and post-competition evaluation. The bottom line purpose of these tools is to identify and define personal purpose and direction in the competitive world. View your competitors as part of your test for excellence. See them as a sign of your success and smile as you run by.
“Ask Shirley” questions can be focused on any topics involving sport psychology, competition, health, fitness, clinical questions, substance abuse, or personal issues. Please, email your questions to Askshirl@gmail.com . All questions will remain anonymous.
Shirley K. Durtschi is a Certified Consultant in Applied Sport Psychology (CC-AASP), with a Ph.D. and M.S. in Sport Psychology, is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and a Chemical Dependency Counselor II (CDCII) for the State of Alaska.