Something that is perhaps lost within our society today is the importance of competition, and why it is beneficial for people to step outside their comfort zones and take risks.

There was a story that made headlines nationwide a few weeks ago that is a perfect example of this.

The Washington Post, among other news outlets, reported earlier this month that several high school football teams in Washington State have forfeited their games against Archbishop Murphy’s football team.

Archbishop Murphy has been a powerhouse high school team in Washington thus far this year, as they won each of their first three contests by a combined score of 170-0. Their next three opponents went on to cancel their scheduled games against them. The Washington Post article claims that opponents have been canceling their games due to safety concerns.

The article reports that Archbishop Murphy has several players on their roster who weigh in the range of 200 to even 300 pounds, while other teams in the league are not even near the same weight class, with most teams having an average weight of under 200 pounds. Parents and school officials involved with many of Archbishop Murphy’s opposing teams are afraid that this could pose a high injury threat.

While that may be a valid point, from a competition stand point, what kind of message is this sending to the high school athletes of the teams that have forfeited? Is it that quitting is okay just because you have to face a risk or a challenge that may seem impossible to overcome?

Playing football, or any contact sport for that matter, always posses the risk of injury. Obviously concussions, among other serious ailments, are common among athletes, and every time a player, at any level of competition, steps onto the field, they know that they are susceptible to the risk of injury.

So what exactly makes this situation different? Is it solely because Archbishop Murphy has won by such a wide margin in the games they have played this year that the opposing teams decided to give up without even trying?

The importance of competition goes beyond the playing field for youth-athletes. Obviously it’s partially about winning, but it is also about the lessons that are learned by competing, which can be applied off the field, after their playing career is over.

Competition is present within many aspects of life. As individuals, we have to compete on a day-to-day basis to create and preserve the livelihood that we wish to have. This sentiment can be applied to the classroom, the workplace, and personal lives. Sometimes this includes taking risks, going outside our comfort zones, and maybe even putting ourselves in a position where we are susceptible to failure. And at the end of the day, it is okay to fail.

Sometimes the greatest lessons in life come from failure. It is in those moments that we learn from our mistakes and shortcomings, and we figure out how to better ourselves and improve our results in the future.

Does this mean we should not look out for our safety, welfare, and best interests? The answer is of course not. At the end of the day, it is wise to make smart decisions that do not intentionally put us in harm’s way, and it is important to always exercise good judgment when deciding if a risk is worth taking.

However, it should not be lost that it is still important to face challenges and give everything we do in life our best effort. Even when the odds are against us, we should not immediately count ourselves out just because there is a risk involved, or because we think there is no chance that we will achieve the desired result in the end.