Oh, it is competitive all right. "Teams" are either all the students from a particular school, who may be involved in many different events and don't really compete against or with one another, or for 3 events, a partner. It is much more individualized, like tennis or golf.
I get competition, but not in a sports context. For one, I really don't get violent sports. Why would anyone want to be slammed into the ground repeatedly by overweight competitors? I do my best to never get punched or have 300 lbs land on me for any reason. Best case scenario, you only end up with bruises. Like the current NFL lawsuit over head injuries. In what universe would anyone think constant blows to the head were not going to have any kind of effect? I'm waiting for boxers and wrestlers to follow suit.
I totally get the camraderie and enjoyment that comes from physical activities and all that. But there is much that will always baffle me. I flunked team allegiances. The players change. The coaches change. Most of the players aren't even from or live in the town for the team they represent. I know I am very much in the minority on this but beyond HS, maybe college, I don't get following a team. A particular player who has skills you admire or who is a really decent person, I get. Cal Ripken is a really good guy who has done a ton for the community, worked hard and stayed very down to earth. I respect that though I have no idea how he ranks athlete wise. The Ravens had a guy on the team who should have been in prison for murder. I don't care what he can do with a football.
I also lack the patience to sit and watch a game for several hours. Add in a bunch of rules that seem fairly arbitrary to me and the fact that I think my brain just rejects anything sports trivia related and it just gets worse. For those who enjoy it, great. I have been able to watch some soccer games and not lose attention as there isn't much downtime.