You NAILED it! Having been raised with a similar "effort only" attitude, its been a revelation to realize the importance of results. As an avid pickup player, I have been learning exactly what you described. Its actually way more rewarding when you play for results, because respect is earned, and therefore means something. Also, its totally unambiguous- you feel good if you win and bad if you lose, no A for effort. Another plus- you can't bullshit yourself. Thank you for an incredible article.