As senior and varsity cross country runner Ryan Kim sprints down the final stretch of the Central Coast Section Championships — the last cross country race of his high school career – his lungs burn, each step he takes more excruciating than the last. However, the threat of a rival runner passing him in the last few seconds fuels his determination to push through the pain.

“During races, they are usually right next to me, so it helps towards the end of a race when they’re kicking,” Kim said. “I just want to pass them, so I kick hard too.” 

However, Kim said the competition with other teams can lead to unhealthy levels of pressure.

“My sophomore year, there was this guy whom I would beat by pretty big margins, and then junior year he started beating me by a lot,” Kim said. “I got really stressed out about that.”

For junior rower Dorin Flynn competition between teammates was the main source of pressure in her sport.

“Inner-team rivalries are almost more stressful than rivalries with other teams because you’re always trying to be faster than one person on your team,” Flynn said. “That can cause a lot of stress, versus not being able to see another team actively training.”

Although some athletes experience pressure and stress due to rivalries, Athletic Director and former Division 1 field hockey player Jennifer Crane said rivalries never played a huge role in her personal athletic journey.

“As an athlete and as a coach, I never focused on the other team,” Crane said. “I know a lot of coaches will say ‘The other team has this player and they’re really good’… but one of my messages to my athletes is you have the autonomy and the responsibility to show up mentally, with your heart, and physically.”

Flynn said she used to be a very self-motivated athlete, but over the course of her career, rivalries — both healthy and unhealthy — have influenced her performance.

“An unhealthy rivalry is if you’re too scared to lose,” Flynn said. “I think that can be very unhealthy, because it can create a toxic environment.” 

For Crane respect is the most important factor when competing against rivals. 

“Both opponents recognize it’s in jest, and it’s understood:‘We have a rivalry but we also respect each other,’” Crane said. “(It’s important to) maintain respect, remembering that these athletes and these teams are human beings just like you are an athlete and a human being.” 

Furthermore, Flynn said a healthy approach to a rivalry can be a mutually beneficial relationship in which athletes push and motivate each other.

 “If you’re rivals to someone, then that means you’re pushing each other,” Flynn said. “You’re probably not going to win or lose against them every single time.”

Over time, Kim said gaining maturity has helped him approach competition with a better mindset where he is motivated by opponents.

“When I was younger it was just like, ‘I want to beat them as much as possible,’ but as the years go on, I realize having rivals is good because it pushes you to work harder,” Kim said. “The beauty of a sport is having people that you improve with, and I think it’s cool to see a group of rivals improve together.”

Once he was able to approach rivalries this way, Kim said they benefited his performance. 

“I think it’s good,” he said. “It pushes me to work harder, and I think it’s good for the sport.There’s days when you’re really tired and you don’t want to do anything, but then you think ‘This athlete is putting in the work,’ and it motivates you to get out of bed and do your workout.”

In the future, Crane said her vision for Paly athletes is to be able to use rivalries to unify rather than divide themselves.

“(The most important aspect is) camaraderie and focusing on our team lifting each other up, becoming a unit and joining together for a common goal in beating this rivalry,” Crane said. “I think it’s a time and an opportunity to pause and reevaluate what our goal is so that we can shift our perspectives and mindset so that we can remove some of the pressure.”