About Competition

I must tell you before I go any further that I was always very horrible at team sports, or at least, those that involved any kind of projectile. So my views about competition might have been shaped by this in some way.

I read a study recently that showed that "survival of the most empathetic" was perhaps at least as important to human development as competition. When I have a little more time, I'll find and post the link here.

There has been a growing number of articles recently touting the positive aspect of team sports. I would like to say that there are a lot of negatives that go with competition that also need consideration. Group behaviour in the face of competition can encourage some ugly attitudes and behaviours. We recently stayed at in a hotel at which there were several hockey teams staying as well. The adults and kids were playing ministicks against our door when we arrived after 9 pm, and continued even after the hotel staff came by (at 10:20 pm) and asked them to move it into a complementary empty banquet room instead. This offended the adults and kids who made a point of yelling it up and down the halls for the next hour or so.

I've also seen some nasty behaviour both within and between teams more directly connected to the sports themselves.
People who support team sports often mention how it builds teamwork and keeps kids healthy and active. I would argue that there are other ways, and IMO better ways to promote these goals.

When you play music in a band or orchestra, you need to work with your fellow musicians. You share a common goal, and work towards it. But instead of bringing others down, your product is creative and everyone benefits. There is no loser. The same can be said about the theatre, ballet, etc.
The arts are like this, except when they aren't.
This mania for competition is infiltrating the arts as well. In some cases it is mild, and each artist or group is given individual feedback. The goals aren't to crush the competition, but to continue to improve. In this sense, it can be a very positive experience for everyone.  But unfortunately, many competitions do not work this way. And the sad truth is that creativity (which most sports lack), is hard to measure, so competitors start to focus on the showy tricks rather than artistic development. One only has to look as far as Olympic figure skating to see the problems this causes.
The push for competitive team sports, and competition in general sometimes means that kids burn out in their teens. Those who continue may peak in their sport, but sometimes at the price of injury or neglecting other important aspects of their lives. There are some who live for competition, who are talented and driven, and for them, it does bring happiness and fulfillment. We should encourage this. But for the vast majority, this does not hold true, and it does not take away the value of the person in any way.
That isn't to say that there isn't great benefit to sports. But there is more to being active than hockey or soccer or high-pressure competition. There are many ways to be active that deserve recognition, including hiking, backpacking, paddling, swimming, climbing, yoga, dancing, skiing, snowshoeing, walking, running, track and field, cycling, playing neighbourhood games like capture the flag,  skipping, building forts, climbing trees and just plain playing for the sake of enjoyment rather than needing to be "better" than the next guy. Way too much emphasis is placed on statistics and numbers rather than in long term health and happiness.