Is competition in PE lessons really healthy?

As a young schoolboy, there’s nothing more I used to look forward to than PE lessons. Come rain or shine, for 90 minutes every week I’d be allowed to kick, throw, or hit a ball around to my heart’s content until we were bundled back onto a smelly, muddy school bus to take a down-trodden trip back to school grounds to begin another week of classroom torture.

Looking back though, there are certainly visible elements of divided opinion amongst children about PE lessons; there are those that love sport, strive on sport, and savour every minute of their PE lessons, then those that cannot wait until the teachers calls you back to the changing rooms to end a muddy, lonely, physically unappealing day of hell. Even forgetting your PE kit isn’t an option any more, with those trying desperately to avoid getting involved begrudgingly making their way to lost property to find the least smelly, sweaty, and unflattering clothes possible as defeat sets in.

The reason? Competition. Due to having an almost unhealthy competitive streak, which nowadays results in getting in a huff for a day if my football team loses, I’m a firm believer of there only being two types of people – winners and losers. Yet for those against the idea, and ultimately forced to endure 90 minutes of hell or get served an hour’s detention, competition makes life living hell. Those that are skilful - albeit if this is only felt by themselves - will effectively ‘ball-hog’, restricting those that are forced to make up the numbers having to stand alone on a pitch until a whistle is blown; only then can they resume their lives and end the pain. 

For individual sport, this ordeal only lengthens. As writer Nigel Molesworth said, “tenis is worse than criket becos at criket you can at least get bowled out, but at tenis you have to go on missing agane and agane”. At least playing ‘team’ sports, the buck can be passed. I have to ask – is competition really as healthy as we are all led to believe? Or does it serve as yet another tool in creating social divides and the deterioration of freedom of choice?