I have grown up in a naturally athletic and competitive family. My siblings are both superstar athletes who have a strong competitiveness in their blood. This may sound like it would bother you, but it has added so much fun and excitement to my life.

Here are six things you know to be true if you grew up with competitive siblings:

1. “Casual” sports games don’t end well

There is no such thing as a game with “no score.” Everything from a quick basketball game before dinner to a soccer pass in the backyard ends with sweat, tears, and arguments. Usually, somebody ends up blaming their loss on the ref, even if there wasn’t one present.

2. Things like “Who has the most cookie dough in their chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream?” are tradition

Everything is a competition. Growing up, you fought over who was the favorite child, who got the best seat in the car, and who gets to choose which movie to watch. A lot of times it was just friendly competition, but it could also end in disaster.

3. The sideline is your second home

For me, having competitive siblings also meant having extremely athletic siblings. They channel their competitiveness through sports and are both superstars on the field. I also like to play sports, but just not at as high of a level as my siblings. Instead, I have mastered the sideline: unfolding my chair, sitting back, and watching them kill it.

4. You have to remind your siblings to take it down a notch at family events

Sometimes they can forget that not everyone takes a game of family volleyball that seriously. We don’t want to create any family conflicts over an alleged “penalty” or “unfair teams.”

5. When you’re all on the same team, there’s no bringing you down

The one thing better than competing against each other is competing together. When you bring all of your competitiveness together, you’re unstoppable.

6. Even though you may be the non-competitive one, you still have their edge

I am definitely the non-competitive one in my family, but I still have a natural edge for competition as a part of who I am. I don’t always act on this competitiveness and I generally avoid unnecessary competition — however, it has given me a sense of drive and motivation that I can apply to other areas of life.