Competitiveness...a halo and sportists prospective

[CASMAN]

Very simple question, I am really serious when I play halo 3, and unlike most people I HATE losing, but don’t cherish winning, I could win 20 times then lose once and I would feel like I just lost the last 100 games, and the next game I usually take my game to the next level and go on a tare the next game.

I play Junior A hockey and I am one of the biggest competitors you will ever meet. And my halo teammates and I seem to play in the same way, as far as competiveness goes. When you are playing do you play it like it is a game or like life and death, this doesn’t mean getting mad at every little mistake, just trying your hardest all the time, and never giving up (i.e. when you’re no-shields going back into the battle to 4-shot the guy that has full shields).

And don’t say…”you are such a try hard”…because then if you don’t try your hardest, why are you playing the game?

Just wanted to see the response I would get…thanks...it would also be good to hear anyone that also play’s reallllll competitive sports and knows where I am coming from.

[ctrl_alt_omni]

You are not alone. I am a hyper-competitive person probably by both nature and nurture. I grew up in tennis academies and playing in traveling basketball tournament teams. During much of my undergrad, I participated in college basketball. Now that I am older and involved in more professional endeavors, I don't have the time to play sports for 6-8 hours a day like I used to. I use video games as a substitute for the competition of sports from my youth.

The hardest thing is to find other people that don't think you are crazy. While it is hard to define the characteristics of the 'average gamer', from my experiences it is safe to say that it does not include hyper-competitive athletes who are used to their lives revolving around do or die, win or go home, play well or lose your dreams competition.

[CASMAN]

The hardest thing is to find other people that don't think you are crazy. While it is hard to define the characteristics of the 'average gamer', from my experiences it is safe to say that it does not include hyper-competitive athletes who are used to their lives revolving around do or die, win or go home, play well or lose your dreams competition.

Dito...couldn't feel more the same.

[Eazzyy]

great post.

[SlowRideLBC]

I play hockey as well and Im the same way. If I have a ****ty game or if we get blown out, it can ruin my entire week. With Halo, though, its different for me. I guess because I can get back to playing a new game quickly, where as in hockey its spaced out and scheduled.

[frznbanana]

I feel the exact same way as CASMAN and ctrl alt omni. I hate it because I dont even have fun playing this game unless im winning and even then I wont have fun unless im doing good. I honestly find it hard to even have fun playing a silly game like rocket race or grifball.

[CASMAN]

I honestly find it hard to even have fun playing a silly game like rocket race or grifball.
Same!

[Garbearrr]

I agree with the OP, however.

If I were to drop all 3 of my baseball this games this week instead of [lets say] 3 random MLG games when I get home tonight, im gonna be 5 times more pissed off about my baseball game than Halo. Unless it's a game for a certain rank, than that could be different, but other than that I agree - I play to win, I never back down and I wont settle for a tie.

[_TRAJAN_]

I know the feeling, but at the same time you have to learn to let losses go from you. If you dwell too much on a loss before the next game, it's much more likely that you'll lose focus.

Learning to let losses go and not see them as a reflection of you as a player lets you keep a much more even temper. As soon as you let losses go, you'll be able to let wins go also and that's equally valuable of a skill. If you feel like you lost everything after losing once, chances are you feel like you've won everything after you've won once. You don't want that, where your value is dependent on your last performance.

It's great to get annoyed after games that you know you could've won because you're dwelling on the actions, not on the results. That's a really quick way to change your actions. But never get wrapped up in your lost performance - win or loss - when it's time for the next one.

*edit* - and yes, I definitely try just as hard and get just as into it when I play, what I'm talking about is entirely different than how much effort you put in while doing something

[GlenTheftAuto]

also this is not me, this is how i am in real life (sorta)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JMOh-cul6M

[ctrl_alt_omni]

I know the feeling, but at the same time you have to learn to let losses go from you. If you dwell too much on a loss before the next game, it's much more likely that you'll lose focus.

Learning to let losses go and not see them as a reflection of you as a player lets you keep a much more even temper. As soon as you let losses go, you'll be able to let wins go also and that's equally valuable of a skill. If you feel like you lost everything after losing once, chances are you feel like you've won everything after you've won once. You don't want that, where your value is dependent on your last performance.

It's great to get annoyed after games that you know you could've won because you're dwelling on the actions, not on the results. That's a really quick way to change your actions. But never get wrapped up in your lost performance - win or loss - when it's time for the next one.

*edit* - and yes, I definitely try just as hard and get just as into it when I play, what I'm talking about is entirely different than how much effort you put in while doing something

Even you do not relate to the level of inherent competitiveness the OP is talking about. Your post is describing a different brand of competitive people -- those that are competitive but not competitive enough so that their game will not be affected by the loss.

Quoting the op "I could win 20 times then lose once and I would feel like I just lost the last 100 games, and the next game I usually take my game to the next level and go on a tare the next game."

The level of hyper-competitive personality being described in this thread will be extremely emotionally invested in each played game, but the huge emotional spike experienced from the loss will only be harnessed into even more determination and desire toward the next game. I have never met someone who thinks like this that hasn't been involved in youth professional sports development like myself.

In summation, your post would be good advice toward a different kind of player, whereas I would assume the OP as well as myself can definitely not relate, as we are on a different level in terms of competitiveness. For competitors like this, it is a false correlation to assume that a loss will affect your next game.

[_TRAJAN_]

The level of hyper-competitive personality being described in this thread will be extremely emotionally invested in each played game, but but huge emotional spike experienced from the loss will only be harnessed into even more determination and desire toward the next game.

"SIT DOWN TRAJAN, BIG WORD ATTACK"

If you don't want to believe me you don't have to, but you should just trust me when I say I know exactly what the OP is talking about and that I'm just as competitive. I probably wouldn't be this good at Halo if I wasn't a competitive person, where improvement was just a natural progression of things because something is never fun if you're not going for the win.

You also probably won't believe me when I say that becoming detached to results made me a better competitor instead of a less competitive person, but it really did.

I'm basically stating the short memory thing, which I KNOW you've heard someone mention in your youth olympic champion training (or whatever you do).

*edit* - competitiveness is not the same as how pissed off you get after a loss

[DYN_X_FACTOR]

I feel the same was as you OP in some situations. I play a lot of social matches and sometimes i'm the crazy kid ridding on the back of a mongoose with a sniper while other times I'm the kid carrying the team with 15+ kills. As for MLG gametypes I am very competitive but not the the point where when i lose one game i feel as though i lost the last 100. Don't get me wrong, I love to win but losing isn't the end of the world to me (unless it's my random teammates fault).

[CASMAN]

As for MLG gametypes I am very competitive but not the the point where when i lose one game i feel as though i lost the last 100. Don't get me wrong, I love to win but losing isn't the end of the world to me (unless it's my random teammates fault).
Well I have lost friends in life and in halo over winning and losing, and some of the time it is hard to say goodbye even though you have to, in order to better yourself.

[iTz_Slayer_J]

competitiveness is what makes MLG thrive

[ctrl_alt_omni]

"SIT DOWN TRAJAN, BIG WORD ATTACK"

If you don't want to believe me you don't have to, but you should just trust me when I say I know exactly what the OP is talking about and that I'm just as competitive.

I'm not sure about a big word attack, but I am sure that you must have misunderstood my post. You cannot know what the OP is talking about if you wrote a quality response referring to something that does not plague the OP. He stated in plain English that his competitiveness does not hurt his ability to bounce back from a loss. Because of his competitive attitude, any said loss will result in just the opposite -- going berserk in a good way the next game.

Emotion stemming from competitive vibes should be harnessed as opposed to negated. It is a lot easier to learn to use your emotions toward positive ends than to learn to quell these emotions, as any sports psychologist I have ever talked with would attest to.

Your advice was sound for 95% of people, but there is a minority out there that know how to dwell on losses and turn the aforementioned dwelling into a positive effect.

[aRZie]

I try hard every game =]

[Epicolypse]

if i loose once.
i feel like ive lost all night.
i hate it, but thats how i am as a person.

[Walsfer]

Emotion stemming from competitive vibes should be harnessed as opposed to negated. It is a lot easier to learn to use your emotions toward positive ends than to learn to quell these emotions, as any sports psychologist I have ever talked with would attest to.


I agree,but that can be tough for a lot of people to do that go beserk over a loss. If you can take that frustration and dominate the next game, sweet deal, but I don't think most people will be able to operate that way.

Most people though will continue to thrive on the fact that they just lossed an easy game. It is more important for you to get pissed off, quickly think about what you did wrong, think about the things that you did right(so you end on a positive note), and then use all that to push you emotionally to wreck the other team

This same idea can be harnessed in the current game when you get behind in a capture the flag game for example.

Side note, do you guys think it is the coaches job in a tournament to keep that one emotionally berserk kid motivated so he will continue to dominate in the game? That way, the coach is playing the psychological role for the team.

[CASMAN]

I try hard every game =]
So do I, in everything in life...people who say, "you're a try hard" need to take things more seriously or they won't go anywhere in life, and anyone who says, "you don't have a life", is wrong because I am living and thriving in my life doing whatever I see fit.

[fuzzyshot123]

I think many people that are involved with mlg feel the same way
I myself feel horrible when i lose but i try my best to get back in it right after a loss. I can never get off after i lose and i always want to play more when i win, wich leads to alot of playing halo lol.
If it wasn't for mlg i would have stopped playing halo 3 months ago because every other gametype isn't fun for me, it's not competitive and that's what i look for when im playing.

EDIT: people who say that you are a try hard are just pissed cuz you're raping them.

[gGambit]

when i play, i play to win. i will rarely just sit back and fool around. i will only fool around in custom games but again that is rarely. in matchmaking it is all business

[Jackass_Jon]

(i.e. when you're no-shields going back into the battle to 4-shot the guy that has full shields).

Seeing as Trajan/Omni are better explaining your actual post, i decided to focus on a single sentence that was wrong.

Thats not something you should just attribute to your nature. Constantly challenging can be a terrible way to win a game. basically, unless you have no options, you don't wanna jump back out and attack the guy who just dropped your shields. The other guy is at the huge advantage of having shields while you don't.

The only times you should challenge like that, is if you can turn the tide. Say he chases you, you nade the corner, then turn and have the jump on him. Thats a time to challenge. Say you successfully get away, and then have a better map option. then you should challenge.

The best time to challenge, imo, is when you execute a switch and bait. Basically, your teammate shoots at the guy that dropped your shields because you called him out. The outcome is going to be 50/50. The enemy will either challenge your teammate (bad move) or try and run away. the second either one happens, you should pop back out and help your teammate.

Sorry to deviate so far from your original point, that sentence just bothered me. :)

[CASMAN]

People who say that you are a try hard are just pissed cuz you're raping them.

Very true...jelousy is a powerful thing.

In matchmaking it is all business

Also very true, and in MLG 4s customs, even with people on the ACLs and stuff I play my hardest...usally trying to warm up my BR, then Matchmaking, still playing hard.

Sorry to deviate so far from your original point, that sentence just bothered me.

No Prob...it was a fling of the moment thing I typed in.

[Hresko1]

You sound just like me. lol

[KraziduZworK]

yeah you seem to be like me, I could win 20 games in a row and if I lose one then I get pissed and get offline.

[CASMAN]

yeah you seem to be like me, I could win 20 games in a row and if I lose one then I get pissed and get offline.
I don't get pissed and get offline, I get zoned in, take names, and do much better the next game.

[Beardeddonkey]

never giving up (i.e. when you?re no-shields going back into the battle to 4-shot the guy that has full shields).

I know what you mean, but there is a difference between being competitive and being reckless.

[uurrnn]

I'm exactly the same way. Someone mentioned being competitive in grifball too, that is me. I'd go in double exp grifball and be joking around having fun with all my friends, but we'd be winning. They even might go up 1-0 on us right away but still no problem, we would come back. It's those times when it's 2-2 when the true competitors come out.

[FascistMittens]

I'm not that serious when I play, and I wasn't that serious when I played hockey - but that's not to say I didn't try so hard. I found I wanted to win because I enjoyed whatever game I was playing, not because it felt like something I had to do. A big part of that is probably from my parents and the coaches I had when I was younger - they cared a lot more about learning the game for enjoying it, as opposed to just having something else to win at, and that has stuck with me. I don't think I would change that.

[tTantalum]

I know the feeling, but at the same time you have to learn to let losses go from you. If you dwell too much on a loss before the next game, it's much more likely that you'll lose focus.

Learning to let losses go and not see them as a reflection of you as a player lets you keep a much more even temper. As soon as you let losses go, you'll be able to let wins go also and that's equally valuable of a skill. If you feel like you lost everything after losing once, chances are you feel like you've won everything after you've won once. You don't want that, where your value is dependent on your last performance.

It's great to get annoyed after games that you know you could've won because you're dwelling on the actions, not on the results. That's a really quick way to change your actions. But never get wrapped up in your lost performance - win or loss - when it's time for the next one.

*edit* - and yes, I definitely try just as hard and get just as into it when I play, what I'm talking about is entirely different than how much effort you put in while doing something
Just quoted this because after watching the Rebroadcast of Meadows, I noticed how BtH was dwelling on their WB loss to Instinct because lets be honest, that was the first match that they actually didn't have full momentum, or control of. Their attitudes from that match carried over to the TD series which did not end so well for them.

OP: Not trying to sound conceited, but all of my athletic teams have always been on top. Football last season ennded with us finishing undefeated, with yours truly at the helm of captain and quarterback. And in basketball, I feel as if everything's been handed to me. Because being 6'0" in seventh grade has its advantages, I don't think it we've played any decent competition. Im not saying this as an asshole, im saying this to admit that I've have not fully pushed myself in the offseason. So, I wouldn't say that I try my hardest at everything.

[_TRAJAN_]

I'm not sure about a big word attack, but I am sure that you must have misunderstood my post. You cannot know what the OP is talking about if you wrote a quality response referring to something that does not plague the OP. He stated in plain English that his competitiveness does not hurt his ability to bounce back from a loss. Because of his competitive attitude, any said loss will result in just the opposite -- going berserk in a good way the next game.

Emotion stemming from competitive vibes should be harnessed as opposed to negated. It is a lot easier to learn to use your emotions toward positive ends than to learn to quell these emotions, as any sports psychologist I have ever talked with would attest to.

Your advice was sound for 95% of people, but there is a minority out there that know how to dwell on losses and turn the aforementioned dwelling into a positive effect.

If you're SURE that I have NEVER felt the way the OP feels and that I have NO understanding of what he's talking about, I'll stop speaking to you and start speaking to him.



...

OP:

It's completely fine for seeing things the way you do if you can control it, but I don't think that's the whole story.

Playing to avoid losing vs. to win is kind of a weird thing. I mean it's normal because it happens to a lot of people (including myself a while ago) but it's peculiar. It happens when you attach your self-esteem to winning and losing, which means your self-conception can be destroyed with a single loss. Winning doesn't solidify your self-image as a good player because you're always at risk during the next loss.

According to what I've read (a book given to me by my psych professor, who has a PhD in motivational psych, but I won't pretend to be a know-it-all so I could be wrong about all this...), this happens when you have a mindset that says your traits define you as a person. Losing means you are a loser. Being bad at something means you will be forever. Now I know you conceptually know that's not true, but I also know that is how you feel sometimes after a loss.

Running from losses instead of running to victory means that you've found an activity that you love (Halo, sports, etc) and you love doing it, but also that there's some insecurity attached to losing. I used to feel the same thing and I'll also say that I used to ask people to 1v1 me a lot more when I lost games I felt like I shouldn't. ;)

You don't (necessarily) have to change because you should harness whatever drives you to be great, but I'm telling you this just in case you feel like you want to work on it. Personally, I used to get angry over any loss and it got in the way of my improvement. I was so worked up about padding my self esteem that when I couldn't do it by victory, I would say that lag was hurting my shot or the other guy got lucky or whatever. When I'm not worried about my self esteem because my Halo performance is no longer a reflection of it, I improve a lot faster because I'm more willing to accept criticism.

If you can accept criticism and stay focused in the face of tough challenges, good for you. I will say that working on my perception of this stuff changed me as a player for sure. I improve faster and I win more because I get phased a lot less by the stuff around me. And, most importantly to me in the long run, I enjoy doing things that I'm not good at a LOT more because I chase the good feelings. I don't need to start off already decent at something to want to stick with it anymore.

I personally have found things on the other side more rewarding. I don't want to put you down in any way for seeing it the way you do or try to look all uppity and enlightened on you, but since you are a competitive person I do want you to be aware of how you see things and the choices you have when it comes to playing the game.

In the end, it's all up to you and like I said, the most important thing is to love what you do. Just enjoy yourself either way and you're doing alright.

[scoot_scoot]

I play catcher in baseball and point gaurd in basketball which are the positions that are super important to be a competitive beast. But I play halo nothing like I do sports. I love halo and I play hard and my best, but at the end of the day it's a game that won't get me anything but a good time. Baseball/ Basketball can get me scholarships to a college and pro athletes get paid more than pro gammers. In the end, real life sports > Halo

[Omg_Falco_Owns]

Very simple question, I am really serious when I play halo 3, and unlike most people I HATE losing, but don?t cherish winning, I could win 20 times then lose once and I would feel like I just lost the last 100 games, and the next game I usually take my game to the next level and go on a tare the next game.

I play Junior A hockey and I am one of the biggest competitors you will ever meet. And my halo teammates and I seem to play in the same way, as far as competiveness goes. When you are playing do you play it like it is a game or like life and death, this doesn?t mean getting mad at every little mistake, just trying your hardest all the time, and never giving up (i.e. when you?re no-shields going back into the battle to 4-shot the guy that has full shields).

And don?t say??you are such a try hard??because then if you don?t try your hardest, why are you playing the game?

Just wanted to see the response I would get?thanks...it would also be good to hear anyone that also play?s reallllll competitive sports and knows where I am coming from.

Because some of us just want to have fun, ya ****IN' TRY HARD.

[Woodshadow0]

I dont get mad when I play. Atleast not at myself. I play to win though. I dont know why you would play if you werent playing to win. That is what I dont understand about the gambling addiction comercials. "If you play for fun you already won" I dont go to a casino and think you know what I'm going to waste $100 for an hour of fun. I want to win. If I lose $100 then how is that fun? I am a loser how is that fun?
Also I dont have to win as long as I tried my hardest to win and it was close. If it is 50-35 then that isnt fun because I never had a shot at winning.

[aPoLaK]

i used to get like that
when i lost it would get me pissed
and i wouldnt even want to play the game anymore
it made things unfun

but once i started to care less about the losses
i became more calm and didnt care if i lost
which actually it may seem weird but it made it more fun
being able to keep playing without being either pissed off or mad at the game
weather i lost or won

[Cruel_Intentions]

Because some of us just want to have fun, ya ****IN' TRY HARD.

Some people find happiness in trying hard, and I am one of those people.

OP: Competition is a trait I have always had, and sometimes it has been my downfall. In Halo I usually will get angry if I hear a player in the playlist whine about the gametype, not do what's best for the team, or simply say, "Who cares dude, we already lost." Nothing infuriates me more than hearing those words. Unfortunately, it seems as nearly every game there's a player on your team who has one of these problems (at the high 40s too). You would expect that at a certain level players would be highly determined to reach their 50, but sadly, no. Naturally, I am usually a leader in everything I do too. However, it seems nearly impossible to lead a team if they're all not as competitive as me.

I've always wanted to lead a high-caliber Gamebattles team since my event dreams are dim, but I refuse to do so until I meet players with high skill levels, a team-orientated mindset and most importantly, a competitive spirit.

[lronik]

If you treat Halo 3 too serious all the time, you will get burnt out on it eventually.

I'm very competitive in everything I do actually, but with Halo 3, there are boundaries for me. If I lose in a series of customs or GameBattles, I make myself completely forget that I lost until after the series is over. MLG MM might be a different story, but again, it's MM.

OP: Like Trajan said, if you can learn to shake off a loss entirely while playing, you'll be able to use that hyper-competitive side a lot better. Trust me.

[Salty_Dude]

In wrestle, box, and spar using Tae Kwon Do (2nd in the nation :) ) and every win feels great but lossing just makes me train harder for next time... mabey its beacause I compete in individual sports and you compete in a team sport

[adeola0997]

right on

[Young Spade]

When I plat MatchMaking or custom 4s, I am almost always serious. I never get mad when I lose, but only if the game "cheats' me out of kills or if I do bad because of outside reasons (sleepy, warmup, etc).

When I play other people and win, I mostly switch sides to play better people to TRY to have a chance to lose as to bring out the best in me to do better.

[CASMAN]

OP: Competition is a trait I have always had, and sometimes it has been my downfall. In Halo I usually will get angry if I hear a player in the playlist whine about the gametype, not do what's best for the team, or simply say, "Who cares dude, we already lost." Nothing infuriates me more than hearing those words.

Feel the same way...couldn't have said it any better.

[Neyeseekay]

So... ur a gamer and a sportist?

[Godgoodglue]

thank you someone understands me i am sick of kids calling me a tryhard i always want to win i am on a baseball team for my school its really competitive and i hate losing it just pisses me off so much to lose in anything that i am good at or think im good at