David Light Shields, PhD, is an affiliate associate professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and author of True Competition: A Guide to Pursuing Excellence in Sport and Society. In this first section of a two-part interview, David shares his views on competition within sport and various other environments by answering the following questions:
- What is your response to the argument that competition can sometimes be a harmful element in our society?
- Why is it important to distinguish competition from "decompetition?"
- Is there evidence showing that athletes can actually increase their performance when engaging in true competition?
