By DESTINE NDE
The influential 20th century American philosopher Drew A. Hyland once addressed an interesting question: Are humans by nature competitive or friendly? The answer, provided in his excellent work Competition and Friendship, is both. Humans are by nature competitive as well as friendly. In fact, the one, if done fairly, should naturally lead to the other.
‘The liberal argument’, wrote Friedrich A. Hayek, a 20th century British philosopher and Nobel Laureate, ‘is in favour of making the best possible use of the forces of competition as a means of co-ordinating human efforts. It is based on the conviction that, where effective competition can be created, it is a better way of guiding individual efforts than any other.’
In ancient times, for example, athletics played a central role in the education and development of the young. The Greeks in particular competed zealously. Athletic competitions were always a grand and serious matter to them, and the victors were often bathed in glory and honour. This led to the emergence of those formidable Grecian armies: Spartan, Athenian, Thracian, Macedonian, and the like. Indeed, ‘when Greeks used the word virtue, they meant that people were able, strong, quick-witted, as much as they were just, principled, or virtuous in a modern sense’—this according to the eminent 20th century British scholar J.M. Roberts in his fascinating book The New Penguin History of the World.
The word competition comes from the combination of two Latin words: Com-petitio. ‘Com’ means ‘together’ and ‘petitio’ means ‘striving’. Hence competition, or com-petitio, literally means ‘striving together.’ This shows clearly that competition is akin to friendship and not to alienation. To compete with others in a well-regulated and honest manner is mutually beneficial to all participants, since each competitor is compelled by the other to perform at a level of excellence that would otherwise be impossible. In effect, competitors bring out the best in each other. They challenge and spur each other on. This leads us to a similar notion, ‘Con-test’, which means a ‘testing together’, wherein the mention of togetherness is suggestive of cooperation, and also points more naturally to friendship than to alienation.
Viewed in this positive sense, competition can be a growth and development accelerator, a midwife for potentials or capacities that are still undiscovered. As such, there is no such thing as a loser in an earnest competition, for ‘every competition thrusts one forward’. Either some of our unknown strengths will be discovered and developed, or some of our weaknesses will be exposed and improved upon. In contesting against others, our competence or incompetence in certain areas are revealed, making it possible for the first to be developed and employed and for the second to be worked at and eradicated. Indeed, as Emerson once said, ‘there is no catalyst for growth like a good competitor’.
In fact, the same is the case when it comes to ideas. In the 5th edition of Human Communication, editors Steward Tubbs and Sylvia Moss say, ‘Good ideas are improved by being tested and opposed by others … Idea opposition, then, is a basic requirement for problem solving.’ Similarly, then, contesting or competing is a basic requirement for growth and development. Indeed, writes the contemporary South African author R. Stevens in his Introduction to Criminology, in other to satisfy our basic urges, like hunger, socialising, procreating, and so on, competition also plays an important role.
To compete, or to contest, with others is strikingly analogous to life in general–the former is actually a microcosm of the latter. For, in a contest we compete against others according to certain fixed rules, and strive to win using our personal competence. Likewise in life we all struggle to survive and succeed according to the laws of the state, using our developed talents and acquired skills, our accumulated knowledge and experience, and our industrious and entrepreneurial dispositions. And just as fair play (or sportsmanship) is recommended and respected in sports in general, so too is virtue (or morals) promoted and honoured in life.
Though athletic contests in schools have lost considerable significance compared to ancient times, it has not yet been totally cast aside. Almost everywhere in the world, classroom instruction has prevailed and taken pre-eminence over sports and physical education. However, there are still schools and teachers who understand and appreciate the tremendous role which athletic competitions can play in the education and development of the young. One such school is Willowmore Laerskool, and one such teacher is Mr Herschelle Curtis Smit.
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On 5 February 2025, the Baviaans Annual Athletic competition took place at Waza Park (the Willowmore Sports Ground). All the primary schools in the region converged to ‘strive’ with one another, and to ‘test’ each other’s mettle. The pitch was divided in two halves; Field A and Field B — the first for boys and the second for girls. All the contestants were learners between the ages of 10 to 13 years. There were many different track races, ranging from 80 metres to 1500 . The young athletes also contested in relay races, hurdles, javelin, high Jump and long jump, shot put and discus.
This as just the zonal level of elimination — the winners went on to the provincial competition held in Gqeberha on 8 February. The winners in this contest will go on to compete on the national level s representatives of the Eastern Cape.
Nine learners from Willowmore Laerskool made it to the provincials. Their coach was Mr Smit, an intelligent and handsome young teacher. I took a special notice of him because of the his uncommon passion and dedication. On 11 February I went interviewed him at the school.
He told me he is motivated by his passion for empowering young people — ‘to change the world’, he said, ‘you must start with the youths.’ He also feels strongly about passing on knowledge from generation to generation: ‘When you dedicate your time and resources to teach and train the young, you are empowering them to one day do same to others.
‘My main wish is to see at least one child from this school succeeding on a national or even international level. To see that happen, and to know that you were a part of the whole process, would be profoundly satisfying. And that’s the only reward I want for doing what I’m doing.’
Mr Smit also teaches Mathematics, Life Skills, History, Economics and Business Studies, but regards athletics as vital for the development of children. ‘It’s very important, both mentally and physically. The children are not equally intelligent — some are more physically inclined, and their talents must also be discovered. Thus it also helps with self-discovery; it gives them a sense of belonging, of direction, of hope and even of self-esteem.
‘It provides an opportunity for those children who are not smart in the class room to shine. When they experience this feeling of importance, of being needed, together with the joy that comes with every victory, their academic performance too would improve. It also offers them the opportunity to make new friends, and serves as a safe outlet for their surplus energies.
Importantly, he added: ‘In competing, they get to learn to obey rules; to know that rules are good and not bad, that they are there to guarantee peace and order and not to restrict their freedom.’
He plans to start practising again in September, and to continue through the fourth quarter. We didn’t do very well this year because we had very little time to practise. And the track in Gqeberha is synthetic, and our learners are not used to that. So we must practise, so that the talented ones can be discovered and focused on. I’m going to organise fun games with lots of prizes to scout for talent.
‘We’re trying to create a different brand of learners here — to build something exceptional. Kids don’t dream big anymore. We need to change that mindset. But we need to get our rugby field ready first. On this we’re calling on community members to help in any way they can — for it takes a village to raise a child.
The sports ground is currently being used by the three schools in Willowmore, as well as numerous rugby and soccer clubs, and there is conflict over it at the moment. So a second field would benefit the entire community. Grass is scarce in the Karoo, so we really need sponsors.’ I thanked him, and the principal too.
Principal Raymond Ferreira.
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The Sarah Baartman District Primary Schools Athletics Championship captured all of this quite cogently on its poster: ‘A United, Active and Winning Province Through Sport, Recreation, Arts, Culture & Heritage’.
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FEATURED IMAGE: Mr Herschelle Smit, athletics coach at Willowmore Laerskool.