When you are cheering for someone you are hoping they succeed. If I am suppose to be helping you succeed why then would I ask you to cheer for your competitor?
The answer is there are more benefits for you cheering for your competitor than for rooting against them.
You can actually learn something
When you realize that your competition is not some evil villain that is trying to steal your happiness, you will begin to appreciate their greatness. The more successful your competition the more you can learn from them. If you wanted your competitor to fail then you will not gain much. There will be another test. There will be another game. There will be another competition. Your competitor failing will not prepare you for future competition. Begin to ask yourself questions like “Why is your competitor successful?” “How is their preparation different from yours?” “What techniques are they using?” The success of your competitor may actually be the link between you being good and you being great. Try to learn as much as possible from your competitor.
Create A Partnership
Once you began to learn from your competitor then you may begin to recognize the opportunity. Your competition is just as smart as you, just as fast as you, just as skilled as you and so on. Therefore instead of viewing them as an enemy. They are a resource. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could combined your skills with their skills. Imagine if the number 1 and the number 2 student in your class studied together. Imagine if the best and the second best soccer player in your district practiced together. Try to create a partnership with your competitor. It will benefit the both of you long term.
Evolve into An Everlasting Friendship
There is more to competition than winning. Competitions last for a short while but a friendship can last for a lifetime. If you took the time to get to know your competitor you will find a lot of similarities. You may have the same hobbies and the same interests. Why not be friends? Your competitor is determined, passionate, and resilient just like you. These similarities will make for a great friendship, and not just any friendship, one that will bring you long term success (see Is it time to change your feathers post).
So the next time you see your competitor instead of trying not to make eye contact, say hi and let your competition know that you are cheering for them.