As a soccer player dribbles up the center of the field, he prepares to boot the ball into the goal. An opponent slide tackles him in a last ditch effort to save his team from a humiliating goal.

The fouled soccer player is left sprawled out on the grass, furious with the opposing player and the referees for letting the foul pass unnoticed.

Where is the line drawn when sports get too competitive? When participating in a sport, athletes compete to win, but this craving can sometimes drive athletes to commit unsportsmanlike acts on a whim.

However, competitiveness should not be abandoned in sports, as it is at the heart of every sport. Boys’ varsity soccer coach Matt Balossi believes competition is vital to soccer.

“Without the opponent, there’d be nothing to compete against,” Balossi said. Sophomore Charlie Harned, a soccer player for the boys’ varsity team, said the competition in soccer is what fuels him.

“Whenever I do well, it’s because of competition and whenever I do poorly its because I’m not competing enough,” Harned said. “You can always play harder.”

The varsity soccer team has a record of 12-2-2 and looks forward to going to districts this year. Balossi said the competition has been a key factor in driving the team so far. While Balossi said practices and games can get too competitive at times, fair refereeing can hold the reigns on games.

“There are times when opposing players can commit a foul that goes unnoticed, and that’s where people get upset,” Balossi said. “If you have good officials, they’ll be able to control competitive games.”

Varsity football coach Sam Horrell said he believes it is the responsibility of the coach to encourage competition in high school sports because it prepares athletes for the real world and teaches them discipline and responsibility.

“You have to be competitive in any market,” Horrell said. “You’re competing when you get out of high school and college.”

Horrell also said high school sports are not too competitive, but there are too many outside agencies getting involved in high school athletics. There is a point, however, where competitiveness can begin to reveal twisted morals in athletes.

“Poor sportsmanship is seen when people lose control and let their values and beliefs start dictating,” Horrell said.

Senior football player Nick Kirchoff said he’s seen people get too competitive at times and it becomes obvious in team competition.

“That’s where a team sport fails, where people start pointing fingers,” Kirchoff said.

The varsity football team does not struggle with problems between teammates due to over-competitiveness, though. Kirchoff said he is motivated by pride, both for his team and for himself, and he carries this pride with him when competing.

“We always keep our heads up high,” Kirchoff said. “No matter what the score is, it’s always 0-0 to me.”

Kirchoff, who also plays for the varsity tennis team in the spring, took a look at his experiences in both football and tennis and compared the competition in both.

“I get more hyped in football than tennis, but when I do get hyped in tennis, I’m an unstoppable force,” Kirchoff said.

Girls’ sports have very similar standpoints to those of boys when it comes down to competition. Coach Lizzy Dooley of the varsity field hockey team said competition is healthy for the team and for the girls.

“It builds character and unity on a team,” Dooley said. “[Competition] keeps the athletes on their game and teaches them good life skills.”

Dooley thought high school sports incorporate the perfect balance of competitiveness and pure enjoyment, making them a great experience.

“It’s fun but it means a lot too,” Dooley said. “It’s not about money or sponsorship like college sports – it is real competition in the raw sense. Now college sports; division one, that is another story.”

Players represent their schools, something all athletes must realize. Dooley said a manner of sportsmanship must always be maintained, no matter how competitive the situation.

“I always tell my players that, when they put the CHS uniform on, it becomes bigger than they are – they cannot think about themselves first,” Dooley said.

When shooting the ball that could potentially win a game, it’s very easy to get carried away in emotions and forget to be respectful. However, in high school sports, athletes are expected to, and should, be able to maturely handle competition.

“We sometimes become so competitive that we don’t realize how ridiculous we are being,” Harned said. “Yelling at teammates never helps, but in the heat of competition you sometimes forget about how immature you sound.”

One thing is clear from those who participate in sports at Clayton; competition is a beneficial factor in sports but it should never be placed in front of sportsmanship.

“I’d rather have my integrity and be a loser, then be a champion without morals,” Harned said.