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 September 24, 2009
Winning is good. Winning is fun. Yet we may often find that winning by itself does not bring lasting satisfaction. Why? Why are there so many sore winners?
Before offering an answer to that question, I’d suggest taking a look at Rick Reilly’s recent article on Michael Jordan’s controversial Basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech.
Posted in Chris's Blog | Tagged coaching, enjoyment, extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, sport, winning
By David Shields on April 29, 2009
Let’s face it. There are a great many terrific coaches. There are also a lot of idiots. I don’t mean to be derogatory; simply accurate. By “idiot,” however, I don’t mean what the word typically connotes today. Rather, I’m returning to its original usage. In ancient Greece, an idiot was a person who was only concerned about their own good. An idiot was someone who was self-centered. They were not involved as contributing members of the public life of the community. They were takers, but not givers.
Posted in David's Blog | Tagged coaching, enjoyment, sport, winning