Competition vs. Comparison in Sports

Every athlete is a competitor, but that unrelenting will to win can easily become a flaw if you focus too much on what other people are doing. Here’s why: comparison is a distraction that holds you back.

Comparison is not the same as healthy competition, which drives us to be better. To be competitive you have to train your mind and body with relentless determination, you have to be ready for battle at any time, and you have to be able to perform as well as you practice.

Sometimes the difference between competition and comparison gets confusing, but when we look at it from a mindset standpoint, it’s the difference between right effort and wrong effort. Comparison can lead your mind down a road that focuses more on what someone else is doing, whereas competition is a mindset in which you are already a winner and you do what it takes to see that you win.

I’ll share one example. In a mindset coaching session with a high school basketball player, the player revealed to me that while he has high self-esteem and feels like he can beat anyone (competitive), sometimes he and his teammates will size themselves up against their opponent, observing them during warm-up and wondering how they will stack up against them during the game (comparison). Clearly, one of these is a healthy mindset for an athlete while the other one immediately takes them out of the zone.

Here’s a brief overview of what the difference is so you can modify your focus by using a mindset of right effort.

Comparison

• Anytime you question yourself. Comparison doesn’t always have to be against another person; sometimes we compare ourselves to an idea of who we think we should be or to something we did in the past. I’m not talking about goals or a drive to be better. I’m talking about when you beat yourself up because you’re not as good as someone else or you’re not where you want to be yet.
• When your observation of another player or team makes you question yourself and/or your team.
• Spending time worrying about another player’s social media status.
• When your active playing time is focused on overanalyzing what someone else is doing.
• Focusing on the “hype” of another player or team.
• Listening too much to what people say you can or can’t do, which leads you to compare if you’re living up to your reputation or not.

Competition

• This is what fuels you to work harder and be better. It’s your motivation to get to your next best level and to win.
• The unstoppable energy within you to win and be the best regardless of what may or may not be stacked against you.
• A clear in-game focus that relies on your instinct and IQ to react in the moment.
• Unshakable self-confidence to do your job and confidence in your team to do its job.
• Walking the walk instead of listening to the talkers talk.

What can you do to stay in the competitive zone?

• Rely on your intuition. There’s a reason you spend all that time practicing. It’s so that when it’s time to play, you know what to do. Trust yourself.
• Have a laser focus on your performance. Never assume that you’ll never be as good as someone else. That can lead to underperformance and you’ll hold yourself back from realizing your full potential.
• Do your job. Worry about you and your team. Don’t get caught up in what anyone else is doing.
• Be a leader. Don’t let adversity deter your performance. For example, there’s a common thinking that if a teammate is having a bad game, that you by comparison will also have an off day or on the other hand, that you will have to overcompensate. Both of these scenarios distract you from doing your job. Set the example by not getting sidetracked when someone is off. This will lift everyone up.
• Never let up. Regardless of the scoreboard, the momentum, or the crowd, stay on your game as if it’s your last.

Interested in learning more about mindset training for athletes? Contact Coach Misty here.