A friend who used to play international sport as a professional tells me he is enjoying his game infinitely more, and playing it better than ever, now he isn’t getting paid for it.
A friend who used to play international sport as a professional tells me he is enjoying his game infinitely more, and playing it better than ever, now he isn’t getting paid for it. And the reason is he’s relaxed; the anxiety is gone. I wonder how much better sportsmen would perform if they could conquer their fear and anxiety about failure, if they had the psychological discipline to relax and express their skill rather than conspicuously trying their guts out?
Look at Barcelona. For all their mesmerising gifts, their most precious quality is their nerve. Outplayed by Manchester United for the first ten minutes of the Champions League final, they thought nothing of it and calmly, competently, and seemingly effortlessly went about their business. The combined anxiety of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi added up to zero.
And last weekend the English national team was huffing and puffing against Switzerland, with the toxic heritage of the World Cup coursing through the side. Even Capello has now turned into a world class moaner. Afterwards the pundits and the fans called for more spirit. That’s the last thing they need. No wonder English players waste so much energy and attention trying to appease the fans by giving the impression of trying.
Concentration in sport is often defined as an active state, a ferocious awareness of the matter in hand. In fact, concentration is the absence of irrelevant stuff. By the end of his career, Zidane behaved as though unnecessary energy was beneath him: he preferred to make every stride count.
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