Schools compromise academic standards and have even been known to alter transcripts of ineligible students in order to gain a star player to gain a competitive edge. Such practices violate the most basic concept of integrity and fair play. Competition in sports has brought about the cult of the winner and the win at any cost mentality, which I believe has some very negative consequences. I am not sure this is true. There have been many studies on competitiveness and its impacts on behavior, but the most obvious immediate impact is self-centeredness.
Competitors have to be self-centered and focused on what it takes to win.
A competitor is not thinking about the needs or feelings of others, but is focused on winning. Competition, in a sense, is a modern expression of the ancient urge of self-preservation. Very few people are non-competitive. Competition touches that aspect of self-interest that lies at the heart of who we are. Certainly competition can teach us much about ourselves, others and life itself.