My Friend is WAY Too Competitive!!!?

Question

My friend is really competitive and seems to have anger problems

What ever we do play sports, play games, even when we argue. He always has to be right or win.

Whenever he wins I just sit there while he excuses why he I won. It bothers me he can’t just say good game.

He will say his racket string was too tight/ loose, he’s still getting back from an injury. He pressed a button on a video game but nothing happened. He’ll complain about anything the wind, court, shoes. If his football gloves were better he could have saved the ball.

The other day when we played on the same team, he’d passed a through ball. He hit it too hard and he said “you could have got to it if you sprinted”. Everyone laughed but he was dead serious.

I don’t want to argue I just want to have fun. I play most of my sports with him and want to still but feel I might have to tell him I only want to do non completive exercise like running.

Answer 1

Maybe just tell him "hey we're just having fun." Or "let's just play for fun this time."

Gaah it sounds frustrating.

Answer 2

Dont argue with him. Just kinda walk away when he starts arguing. After a while he will get it

Answer 3

Sounds to me like your friend has self-esteem issues. He doesn't want to admit fault for anything hence all the excuses. He takes the games or sports way to seriously and needs to learn to just have fun.

If continuing to play with him is making things less enjoyable for you, then yes, you should limit the activities you do with him.

I don't know how well talking to him about this would go. It does seem to me like the kind of help he really needs would have to be from a professional.