Wooden, J. (2001, January). John Wooden: The difference between winning and succeeding. [Video file]. Retrieved 21 February 2016 from https://www.ted.com/talks/john_wooden_on_the_difference_between_winning_and_success?language=en

Something that resonated with me in this talk, which was given by an incredibly successful coach who spent years teaching, coaching, and educating students and athletes, was about how when you are competing for a goal, what that goal actually is changes how you “play the game”. And what is significant is that this goal, whether it be in academics or athletics, is determined or framed by the facilitators. Achievement of that goal or “success” in the given task and the worth that people surrounding the participants place on this success varies. The idea that John Wooden brings forth of “Never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others. Never cease trying to be the best you can be — that’s under your control” is a concept that isn’t always in line with what we witness in competitive scenarios. The idea of measuring success in this format, of whether you achieved the best you could, regardless of others, is in line with intrinsic competition. This is directly linked to the question of “How do we make competition positive?” and “How do we make it a situation of learning and growth for all participants?” We could argue that this is the case all the time and that we strive for this in any competition. Well that is false. Whether it is caches, parents, spectators, or other participants, more often than not a certain expectation to win is placed upon them. Not succeed. Win. The framework of us vs. them, me vs. you, winners vs. losers, is the reason many people have such negative feelings towards competition. This baggage has stuck with them and they never had competition framed for them in a way that set them up to be successful. Not necessarily winners, but successful nonetheless. The ability to see yourself as achieving a goal, regardless of the outcome is an essential skill that needs to be taught, and yes it most certainly is not something that comes naturally. We as educators have a responsibility to teach our students this skill and competition can support that learning and growth. When they leave school and enter the “real world”, employers, administrators, and all sorts of people will be looking for individuals that can exhibit this kind of success, and again that doesn’t mean winning. John Wooden summarized it in an excellent way about what he looked for in a player that he would call a “perfect player”:

“Well, I’d want one that knew why he was at UCLA: to get an education, he was a good student, really knew why he was there in the first place. But I’d want one that could play, too. I’d want one to realize that defense usually wins championships, and who would work hard on defense. But I’d want one who would play offense, too. I’d want him to be unselfish, and look for the pass first and not shoot all the time. And I’d want one that could pass and would pass.”

These qualities translate off the basketball court, off the football field, off the ice rink, and directly into our classrooms. They are qualities and skills that stick with our students and will be essential for the rest of their lives.