Motivation or Envy?

[Kreeshak]

Hypothetical Scenario:

You are a proffessional athlete in NBA (For Americans) Football for the rest of the world.
You transfer to a new team, where John has a regular spot, spot that you are competing for.
John is established and the coach favors him so he starts with him in the squad.

You want to take his spot. How do you feel?

[Deleted]

If you're a professional athlete in ANY sport, you don't play for yourself, but for your team. your main goal is to make sure your team wins, even if this means that you need to let a better player take your spot.

[Catta]

If you're a professional athlete in ANY sport, you don't play for yourself, but for your team. your main goal is to make sure your team wins, even if this means that you need to let a better player take your spot.

Unless you play them single person sports like running, golf or tennis (sometimes) and that.

[Taurenburger]

If you're a professional athlete in ANY sport, you don't play for yourself, but for your team. your main goal is to make sure your team wins, even if this means that you need to let a better player take your spot.

While this is true, I think that an athlete should ALWAYS try to get as much playtime as (s)he can get to develop better. It's a shame a promising player doesn't get to play because a star is playing on that position. If I were to get a transfer to a better club I'd first ask what I can expect (lot of playtime or not that much). I rather develop at a lesser team (though still better than my previous team) than a starteam on which I don't get much playtime.

My opinion on that: I'd feel motivated to better myself. It doesn't help envying someone, as you'd not focus on your own play but on his instead. This then means train hard and only focus on the sport. Still not getting any playtime? Asking to be loaned out to another team (it works in soccer like that).

[Deleted]

First come first serve, so motivation is my answer, even tough a small 'accident' would only hurt John

[Deleted]

If you're a professional athlete in ANY sport, you don't play for yourself, but for your team. your main goal is to make sure your team wins, even if this means that you need to let a better player take your spot.

I don't think this is true.

If you're a professional athlete in ANY sport, you play for money. People that don't play it for the money either have to much money (long time players) or are stupid.

[Eazy]

Isn't envy a good motivation? I'd choose both.

[Ethes]

First come first serve, so motivation is my answer, even tough a small 'accident' would only hurt John

In professional sports? Not really! You pick the best person for the job. If thats the new guy you pick him, if its the established guy then you choose him. Its that simple! I agree with motivation though, it's the way forward. Although in a high competitive environment you need to be thankful for all the opportunities you get. So if John gets injured, thats just too bad for him.

[vindicatorx]

Don't see why envy is an option cause that is an absurd notion. If you are a professional athlete then you are competitive in general, why waste time being envious of someone when you can do what it takes to improve and outright become the only rational choice. Coaches want to win as their jobs depend on it sure he might like player a better than you but if you are better than him, the coach will play you.

[Taurenburger]

If you're a professional athlete in ANY sport, you play for money. People that don't play it for the money either have to much money (long time players) or are stupid.

I don't think this is true. While a lot of players do it for the money they get, it doesn't make them look good in my eyes. If I were a professional athlete, I'd play because I enjoy it and after that comes money (ofcourse I should be able to make a living with what I earn).

[Mataru]

Professional athletes play for many different reasons. To become one of the greats you cannot be motivated mainly by money imo. People like Messi, Lebron James, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, arguably the greatest players of their respective sports, would not be able to achieve such heights if their main, let alone only, motivation was money. You think Lebron stays late to practice his free-throws or do extra workouts so he can keep getting those Nike dollars, or because he wants to win more championships and cement his legacy as one of the great players in history? The drive to win, and the high you get when you achieve your hard-earned goals, are worth more than money. Ofc money helps, it allows them to focus 100% on their sport and not have to think about it, and I'm sure they'll enjoy retiring in their mid-30's with 100s of millions, that's a given.

A lot of more obscure players who will never be great or famous, but still compete at the highest professional levels, probably do so mostly for money though, and that, along with lack of raw talent, is why they will stay mediocre throughout their careers.

As for the OP's question, not sure where you're going with it. In any team sport whoever is the biggest asset to the team should play, and if you want a spot you need to prove yourself a bigger asset than him in practice or any other chance you get to show your worth. I would not feel bad about taking anyone's established spot as long as I earned it fair and square.

[Deleted]

I would want to be known as the better player, not the guy that is second best and only got a spot due to luck.

[Powerogue]

Even if you feel a bit of both, you should always only attempt to make the former a reality.

[Roose]

You have to be better to keep the spot anyways. They can easily replace you too.

[Itisamuh]

Nobody should wish an injury on their teammate just to get a spot. But anyway, if I was already an established player and wanted a starting spot, I would pick a team where I would get one. If I was a new pro, then I would have no right to expect a spot right away anyway. Either way, motivation is positively focusing on yourself while envy is negatively focusing on someone else. It should be obvious which to go with, pro or not.