Competitive Character

All opinions expressed in the blog are solely my own.  

“You can’t always be the most talented person in the room. But you can be the most competitive.”

~ Pat Summitt pic.twitter.com/c9S7McBWsl

— Jamy Bechler (@CoachBechler) June 29, 2025

"You know it when you see it." Brad Stevens calls it "competitive character." Lots of euphemisms exist for competitiveness:

• Hungry
• High motor 
• Dirt dog 
• Grinder 
• Junkyard dog
• "Hair on fire"
• Relentless

As a youngster, I remember seeing a player from North Andover who was flying all over, stealing the ball, a whirling dervish, "Tasmanian Devil." He wasn't the best player on the court but certainly impactful in defeat. 

In the animal kingdom, pound for pound, the honey badger is one of the toughest animals. They have thick hides, resist snake venom, and do not back down. Because of their toughness, they have few enemies. 

One of the highest compliments you can give a player is calling her "the honey badger." 

 

Model your competitive character after the honey badger. They meet what Anson Dorrance called "competitive fury." 

Lagniappe. An excerpt from an old basketball blog post: 

"A player's most important quality isn't skill."

"How you play is how you live." 

"The summit is not the only place on the mountain." 

"Our choices define us." (Decisions determine destiny.)

"Everyone can be a great teammate."

"The best players make others better."

"The magic is in the work." 

"Don't cheat the drill." 

"Become your better version."

"We can always give more."

"Will and skill."

"Basketball is sharing." - Phil Jackson



"Remember the guys who quit? Nobody else does either."

"Say yes to opportunity." 

"Invest your time don't spend it."

"Chop wood; carry water." - Zen proverb

"Do more of what is working and less of what isn't."

"Is what you're doing now getting you closer to where you want to be?"

"Learning doesn't stop."