Healthy competition is a key element in every successful environment. Whether in a team setting, exercise program or football competition, the ability to remove cutthroat behavior but instill a competitive spirit is crucial to individual and group growth. Learn how to accentuate positive characteristics of competitiveness so negative competition doesn’t creep in. Start with these tips to facilitate healthy competition in your program.
Define healthy competition.
Competition can be associated with a range of characteristics—some good and some less favorable. Drawing a line between relentless work ethic and disrespectful bragging or pouting can change how your program internalizes and externalizes competition.
Define healthy competition with qualities you anticipate bettering your program. For instance, a coach might encourage resilience, drive and persistence in its players but exclude losing temper, cheating and jealous behaviors. Set a verbal parameter for what is acceptable competition in your department.
Establish individual and team goals.
Approach individual competition and team competition with unique goals and expectations. When working with an individual in activities such as track or weight lifting, focus on personal bests and use other’s accomplishments to motivate greater achievements for one’s self. Respecting individual weaknesses and strengths is a healthy component in understanding lifelong achievement.
By setting similar goals for a group or team, it gives the unit as a whole something to work towards together. Create challenges to overcome that require cooperation, teamwork and dependence on other people. The ability to excel in the presence of pressure is healthy so long as teams can be confident in each other’s skills and effort.
Repurpose failure.
After a tough loss or bad play, repurpose failure into a learning opportunity. Teach members in your program to work on weaknesses by spending extra time on drills that work fundamentals or areas that need improvement. By taking responsibility and encouraging healthy problem solving in your gym, team or players, you create an environment where both success and failure makes the program better.
Drive positive vibes.
Facilitate healthy competition in your program starting with the environment. Play music. Lead by example. Use humor to ease tension. When teaching people how to be a healthy competitor, it is important to incorporate fun and lend support to those struggling and succeeding.
Practice drills and exercises.
Play games that make people win and lose. Drills and exercises that balance frustration and confidence is the best way to build resilience in self, sports, school and life competition.
At Legend Fitness, we are always striving for healthy competition. Whether we are acknowledging competitor’s strengths in the industry or pushing ourselves and our equipment toward better standards, we are always learning and improving. See more ways you can improve your summer training program too this summer.
