The Value of Competition

November 3

To compete is defined as ‘to strive against another or others to attain a goal.’ Upon first hearing the word ‘compete’, people often think of an opponent, or a “win-lose” situation. Competing is something we do with our rivals or those challenging us for something we want. Competition in basketball at Vassar is the 20 to 25 games we play each season.

But what isn’t always clear is that in order to really ‘compete’ in those 20 to 25 games, we need to compete every day. If we want to win games, we must not only strive against the teams we play, we must strive against one another. The only way we get better is to push ourselves and to push each other.

This was one of the main things we discussed in the locker room over our past few practices. We had to push each other in practice if we were going to compete in the Liberty League, or in any game we play. If I play laid back defense against my point guard in a scrimmage, I’m not preparing her for the smothering kind of defense she will see when we begin the season. If our post players aren’t pushing and battling back and forth in practice, they are not getting each other ready for the unbelievably physical and tough post play they’ll see in games.

It was impressive how well our team, as a whole, responded to this idea. It is much easier to say to each other “hey, let’s really push each other every day in practice” than it is to keep the high level of energy and focus needed to compete with each other in a 30 minute scrimmage after an hour and a half of sprints, full-court drills, and 5 on 0 work. It is not easy, physically or mentally, to keep that competitive attitude through the entirety of a tough two-hour practice, six-days a week. After Friday afternoon’s practice, my teammates and I were discussing how tired we felt, when it didn’t seem like we ran anymore than we usually do. We realized that the exhaustion came from the effort we are giving to make one another better – it’s much harder than it might appear. But knowing that we’ve worked hard after each and every practice reassures me that we’re improving on a daily basis.

On Saturday before practice, my coached talked about ‘playing for a job.’ We define our roles on this team by coming to each practice, giving everything we’ve got, and showing what we can do. My teammates and I played very hard when we scrimmaged on Saturday after a long week of practice. We kept the level of competitiveness high throughout practice without letting up. I’m sure everyone was inspired to show the strengths that they had and how they can contribute on the court after talking about playing for a job. But more importantly, everyone knew that the best way that each of us can contribute is to compete against each other and make our teammates better. If we push ourselves every day, we will be more prepared to compete and win when it really counts. Knowing this, we’re prepared to compete with one another each and every day we play.