The value basis of competitive sports: A zero-sum theory perspective

Abstract

This study uses the zero-sum theory of competition in sports philosophy to explain that in the world of highly competitive sports, elite athletes face “zero-sum games” in which they either win or lose, that is, the all-or-nothing (zero logic) of high-competitive sports. Three conclusions were obtained. First of all, the perfectionist trait of elite athletes is not some social maladaptation. On the one hand, it originates from the fierce competition environment of high-level sports competitions. The meticulous execution of regular sports training reflects the excellence of sports. On the other hand, elite athletes pursue faster, higher, stronger – together day and night, constantly moving towards and breaking through the limits of their own sports performance, reflecting the efforts of limited human beings to strive for perfection, and at the same time, it also shows the human nature which is competing with the others. Secondly, elite athletes in the world of high-competition sports are like a phoenix rising from the ashes, or like the 300 Spartans, bravely heading towards “death.” This world does not allow for just having the intention of working hard or just trying to win; the latter is not enough to become a qualified competitor because when elite athletes adopt a process-centered and compensatory view of competition, high-competition sports lose their unique redemptive power. Finally, the high-competitive sports that elite athletes participate in are not the same as war. In other words, the outcome of a high-competitive sports game is not the same as a life-and-death war. The elite athletes who lose in their sports game always possess the possibility of the following sports session; in other words, the following sports session provides the elite athlete with the possibility of exceeding the result of his or her previous sports session. Therefore, in the highly competitive sports world, elite athletes need to understand the zero-sum logic involved in winning and losing in high-competition sports, especially those who are at the end of their sports careers and have failed to realize the zero-sum game positively. For elite athletes who have/haven’t qualified for important events, this study applies the zero-sum theory to provide elite athletes with a zero-sum basis for valuing competitive sports and helps elite athletes view winning and losing in positive ways.