By David Shields on April 14, 2010
Abstract
For more than a century, the contention that sport builds character has been popular among educators. The more cautious perspective of researchers is that sport might build character, but only under the right conditions. In this paper, Brenda Light Bredemeier, Ph.D., and David Light Shields, Ph.D., report on three aspects of character that [...]
Posted in Coaching, Free, Resources, Teaching, Working | Tagged achievement goal, character, coaching, competition, decompetition, enjoyment, excellence, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, playing, sport, task orientation, true competition, youth
By David Shields on April 14, 2010
True Competition is a more than a catch-phrase, it is a provocative theory about the very nature of competition–how and when it works, its limitations, and its pitfalls. Our lives in a democratic, capitalist country are encompassed by competition, suffused by it, but it is something we rarely discuss without resorting to anecdotes and [...]
Posted in Coaching, Free, Resources, Teaching, Working | Tagged achievement goal, battle, character, coaching, competition, decompetition, enjoyment, excellence, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, metaphor, motivation, playing, sport, task orientation, true competition, war, winning, youth
By Christopher Funk on April 14, 2010
David Shields, Ph.D.
Whether you are in sports or business, whether you compete for fun or profit, there are hidden strategies both to boost your performance and find more enjoyment in the process. Here are five such strategies.
First, to maximize your likelihood of winning (whether a game or a contract), forget about winning!
The more that you [...]
Posted in Coaching, Free, Resources, Teaching, Working | Tagged achievement goal, competition, task orientation, true competition
By Christopher Funk on April 14, 2010
I’ve been working with athletes and coaches for many years and over that time, I’ve become convinced that most people fall far short of their full potential – and, frankly, do not win or succeed as often as they might. So why is that? There are many reasons, of course. There’s performance anxiety; stresses of various sorts. But one of the most pervasive and profound reasons goes largely unnoticed. It originates in the way people think about the very meaning and purpose of competition.
Posted in Press Kit | Tagged coaching, decompetition, interviews, media kit, Teaching, true competition
By David Shields on December 19, 2009
I’ve been reluctant to blog about Tiger Woods. So much has already been said. In fact, when he fell from the pedestal, he could have drowned in the bad ink that he received. But I would like to pick up on a point that has not yet been adequately discussed.
In the “true competition” framework, competition is all about finding enjoyment in the strenuous pursuit of worthy goals. At times, Tiger seemed to exemplify this. He was willing, for example, to risk losing in order to go through a learning curve as he changed the mechanics of his stroke. He knew that ultimately it would make him a better golfer.
But did Tiger find a deep and abiding sense of enjoyment in his play?
Posted in David's Blog | Tagged character, enjoyment, satisfaction, true competition