Sporting Soul

The iceberg effect

2009-08-31T17:09:00.009+01:00

There is much speculation at the moment with regard to the sporting future of Gavin Henson as he has been placed on indefinite unpaid leave by his club, the Ospreys.

As with Jonny Wilkinson, he has suffered an almost continuous range of injuries over the past couple of years which must be both physically and psychologically debilitating. Jonny Wilkinson has dealt with his situation by learning French (apparently he speaks fluent French) and moving to an aspirational club in the south of France for a new environment and challenge. He will experience a completely new way of life and be in a climate that will be kinder to his body than the north east of England. It will be interesting to see, in the coming season, if this move rejuvenates both his career and his body but early signs are encouraging.

So what does the future hold for Gavin Henson? I am not privy to this but hopefully he, and those closest to him, has some idea as to the future direction of his sporting career, if he wants there to be one. What is certain however, is that performance is not just affected by the normal things that you would associate with sport such as fitness, nutrition, psychology etc but also those factors that are usually unseen and lurk below the surface. It is these that we call the 'iceberg effect' since they are usually given much less priority by sportspeople and coaches. They include things such as personal relationships, general health and wellbeing, physical environment, personal accountability and responsibility, emotional intelligence etc etc.

However, like an iceberg, if they are not sufficiently solid then the top of the iceberg will start to crumble and disintegrate. Too often in the (macho) sporting arena such issues are regarded as 'soft' and unimportant. I beg to differ and in my view they are the areas of one's life that need to be equally as robust as the things that can be seen above the surface. Who knows, perhaps the real reasons for Gavin Henson's continued absence from the rugby field relate as much to these being out of balance as to physical injury. If this is the case, he needs to get to work on them as soon as possible to ensure that the iceberg stays afloat.

Maintaining your momentum

2009-08-31T14:26:00.005+01:00

It is the Bank Holiday weekend, and this is not only the last Bank Holiday for a while, but also this signifies the end summer. That means that the outdoor season for athletics is soon to end, and while I write this I am watching the athletics at Gateshead - I will be in mourning soon, as I love athletics!

This is the second grand prix after the World Championships and the athletes are tired, you can see it on their faces.

So how to you maintain your momentum? That is million dollar question, the answer will be different for everyone. It is not a one size fits all solution.

Many athletes who came out of Berlin with medals are feeling the pressure of a season which has had a world class event directly following an Olympics, the cumulative effect of that is huge. The psychological pressure and physical demands on your body are draining and to maintain good performances throughout the season is difficult. I think that Carmilita Jeter (USA) summed it up brilliantly today, by saying that you just have to get lots of rest and take your vitamins! Jeter is one athlete who is made of tough stuff and after all the traveling she has done, and perhaps after a little disappointment in Berlin, has managed to maintain her level of good performances. Her consistency is commendable and I think that she has been able to, health permitting, concentrate on the job in hand at all times, which has been to win as many races as possible.

We can all suffer lapses in our performance when at work, be we professional athletes or not. However, we need to know what it is which will help us maintain our levels of performances as best we can, and if not, we need to put mechanisms in place to cope with the dips in performance and ensure that they are short term blips on the radar and not long term lows which can create long term problems.

Jenny Meadows came 3rd in 800m race and admitted that she was tired and not 100%, but she was aiming for a top 3 finish and that is what she achieved. Knowing our limits is important as well for maintaining your momentum and this is something we can all bear in mind.

awinningformula!

2009-08-24T19:12:00.001+01:00

The Athletics World Championships came to a close yesterday with the mens 4x400m relay. Team GB came away with some real silverware as they clinched silver behind the Americans on Sunday night.

The team spirit was clearly evident as 4 grown men hugged and jumped around to celebrate. Team GB's total medal haul was 6, one more than expected - that should keep the powers that be at UK Athletics happy.

Jessica Ennis definitely set the tone with her win in the heptathlon, with Phillips Idowu and Jenny Meadows following suit. Some team mates said that they were inspired by those performances and it certainly seemed as if this was the case. Athletes who finished in the top 8 were disappointed with those performances, whereas normally they wouldn't be and would be happy to just be there competing on the world stage. It is refreshing, and about time we saw some hunger from the British athletes.

Athletics is pretty much an individual sport, apart from the relays, but watching these recent Championships it is evident that team spirit was alive and well and it makes a difference to individual performances. Time and time again you would see those athletes who competed in the individual 100m and 200m races raise their games when competing in the relays. Asafa Powel, in particular, looked positively relaxed when he romped home to take gold in the mens 4x100m relay.

As medals were won and personal bests were achieved athlete upon athlete thanked their 'teams'. These 'teams' were made up of coaches, physios, doctors, fellow competitors, and of course friends and family. These people make up the invisible team that without being there these great performances would not exist. The Jamaican's dominated the Championships on the track and they thanked literally the whole of Jamaica, and the rest for their support and help in getting them to this point.

awinningteam is what it is all about, regardless of whether you are an individual or actual compete in a team sport. This 'team' we can all create and have for ourselves allows us to take the power of one and multiply it, and it is the quality not the quantity of the people in your team which determine how successful you will be. No man is an island!

Gutsy or just plain competitive?

2009-08-20T09:03:00.001+01:00

Jenny Meadows the diminutive runner who claimed a bronze medal in yesterdays 800m final got my vote for the most competitive athlete thus far in the World Athletics Championships.

Lagging behind the main contenders towards the final bend of the race I thought that she was out of it, even though I knew she can kick her way out of trouble, but not that much trouble! She had it all to do in the final stages of the race. In the final 150 metres Jenny clawed her way up the field and almost snatched a silver medal. Little did I knew that Jenny had her race plan sorted and was sticking to it. She had it all under control and won her first medal in her first world championship final.

I remember when she was not selected for the Olympics and this caused a stir amongst many athletics fans. Undeterred Meadows continued to train hard and establish herself as one of Britain's top 3 800m runners, the other two being Marilyn Okoro and Gemma Simpson. It was only Jenny and Okoro who made it to the final and only Jenny who came out of it with any silverware.

A professional through and through Meadows even had a chance, in her track side interviews, to thank all those who supported her, even some friends who had driven to Berlin through the night to be there for the race. She also sent out a a message to all young athletes, she wanted them to take note that she did not win any major 800 titles as a junior, but look at her now! So often we see junior champions burst on to the scene only to fade into the shadows as the years progress.

Jenny ran through the finish line using every drop of energy she had, she looked like she held nothing back and laid it all out there, and it paid off. Young athletes, in fact anybody for that matter, should take note that when you have a plan and follow it, great things can happen, the thing to know is give it your all and even though the competition is tough if you have planned right, you are always in with a chance.

My hat goes off to you Jenny, it was great to see you break through at last.

Patience is a virtue!

2009-08-18T19:44:00.001+01:00

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, or should I say always the best man and never the groom when talking about Phillips Idowu! The British triple jumper, Idowu took gold in Berlin to claim team GB's second gold medal of the Athletics World Championships.

Understandably Idowu got a little emotional, but he has waited a while to claim this title after being a world leader for the last few years. He was pipped to the post in Beijing, but he snatched a deserving victory in Berlin.

So, it is now Ennis and Idowu who lead the way for Team GB in grand style with their matching gold medals. UK Athletics have set a target of 5 medals in this years' Championships, where the others come from who knows. Patience, patience, patience!

Bloodgate

2009-08-17T14:41:00.012+01:00

As a rugby follower and supporter I was both appalled and saddened at the events surrounding the actions of Harlequins in their Heineken Cup quarter final with Leinster. Rugby has long held itself up to be a sport of the highest integrity in which you played hard and to win but you respected the referee, the rules of the game and your opponent. Nothing embodies this more than the fact that both teams still create a line to applaud each other off the pitch. This is done at all levels of the game from junior to international level. Sadly events of the last few months have put rugby in a very bad light indeed and there seem to be more and more incidents that are drawing the game into disrepute.

It seems that there are 3 distinct issues to deal with but each has a common theme:
- the behaviour of Dean Richards and other rugby officials of the club
- the involvement of Tom Evans and the way he has dealt with the incident
- the behaviour of the club and its executive

Dean Richards belatedly resigned his post as Director of Rugby before the appeal hearing in Glasgow into the original decision to clear him which has also now found him responsible for four similar incidents in non-ERC competitions. This is a sad situation for somebody who was a colossus on the field of play.

It was evident from the start that other people on the rugby side, in addition to Tom Evans, must have been involved. At one level it is understandable why he would have succumbed to pressure from above but it also shows a weakness in his character. On the other hand his decision to appeal the 12month ban also suggests that he does have some strong values and beliefs but one can only speculate what he might have done if the original ban had been much lighter. Would he still have said “I hope that, as a result of this episode, no player or employee will ever be put in such a compromised position and, if they are, that they will always tell the truth as I wish I had done from the outset,”? It would have shown much more courage if he had declined to co-operate with the sham at the outset.

The way in which the club seems to have handled this whole episode is unprofessional in the extreme. Mark Souster in the The Times sums it up perfectly when he says "The way in which officials at the once proud club.......... have dodged, ducked and dived has been shameful and cowardly. Those in charge have brought to its knees a once proud institution that prided itself for so long on its Corinthian values. Its reputation is in tatters. The club threatens to implode". It seems inconceivable that people at the very top of the club were not aware of this and/or the previous 4 incidents and, to add insult to injury, the suggestion remains that the player was cut with a scalpel as part of an attempted cover-up. Not only this but also, according to The Times, until the eleventh hour Williams faced intense pressure from officials at the club not to proceed with his appeal.

What is especially damning is that Harlequins, founded in 1866, have been regarded as one of the custodians of the integrity of rugby and the Corinthian spirit. Perhaps like others in the game who have been found guilty of such heinous offences as eye gouging the 'pressure' of competing in a professional environment, in which the financial stakes are high, was too much. Whatever the circumstances of the offence, committed by members of the Harlequins' club, it shows an inherent weakness in the values and make up of a number of people.

One of the key characteristics of truly top performers is to be of the highest integrity. People who cut corners, cheat or who are unable to play by the rules show a weakness in their personality and a flaw in their character that will be exposed in pressure situations - it looks as though this is what happened here. Such individuals will have an automatic tendency to adopt such default behaviour in other situations too, whether in a professional or personal context, as evidenced by the findings of the appeal panel that Dean Richards and Stephen Brennan (the club physiotherapist) had been involved in the systematic feigning of blood injuries on 4 other occasions.

Multi event bonanza!

2009-08-16T18:13:00.002+01:00

The World Championships for Triathlon, Modern Pentatathlon and Athletics were all on this weekend - a sports enthusiasts dream! The triathlon world championships series took place on the Saturday in Hyde Park, the Modern Pentathlon takes place in Crystal Palace this weekend and the Athletics in Berlin started on Friday.

Sunday saw Jessica Ennis crowned the heptathlon world champion. 3, 5, and 7 eventers to me are slightly crazy. At the triathlon there were athletes getting their feet caught in wheels, going around the course for an extra lap becuase they did not here the final lap bell (surely adding insult to injury!), in the modern pentathlon there were a few thrills and spills in the horse riding, and then finally the heptathlon which, over the two days of competition, was just a joy to watch. Jessica Ennis, one of the UK's brightest starts, was able to finally fulfill her potential and reign supreme.

The stamina, endurance, agility, strength, power, mental strength and focus which all multi-eventers require is amazing. They are truly the most complete athlete. They cannot rely on just brute force, strength, or just speed to make it through. Not only do they have to master the different events, they have to do them over either one, or two days - ouch!

Jessica has shown her true metal by overcoming what must have been a disappointing 2008 when she missed out on going to Beijing due to injury. However, now she has a new bit of bling to show that the hard work has paid off and out of disappointment and failure can come great rewards. Rewards no doubt that are soooo worth the wait!

What doesn't kill you will make you stronger

2009-08-10T21:44:00.003+01:00

The title of this blog could not be more apt for the long distance athlete Paula Radcliffe. After years of being a professional athlete she has celebrated huge professional highs, and huge professional lows. Who doesn't remember Paula sitting broken on the side of the road during the marathon at the Athens Olympics in 2000, mind willing but body completely unable to finish the race. She had failed to become the Olympic champion, the one accolade to elude her huge trophy cabinet. Paula is the world record holder at this gruelling event so the girl can run!

Paula is preparing for the World Championships in Berlin. She has been training overseas and has been seemingly quite quiet. She has had many an injury and we hope that she can make a successful comeback in a couple of weeks.

What I think is quite interesting in that even top athletes worry about what people think, and a less than 100% fit Paula competed in the Beijing Olympics and was determined to finish, not just for herself, but for the British public to see that she was not a quitter and avoid repeating what happened to her after Athens, a drubbing in the press which you wouldn't wish on anybody. Her finishing time in Beijing, by her standards, was painfully slow but for her it was a triumph to finish after the disaster that was Athens.

In a recent interview for Sport magazine ( August 7, 2009 issues 123) Sarah Shepherd reveals the woman behind the sportsperson and shows that Paula is one determined woman, who lives to run, and will find a way around any obstacle to allow her to continue to run, even if it means, changing her running style just to overcome problems with her big toe!

After reading the article in 'Sport' I was rather impressed by the quiet determination with which Paula approaches her sport. As a long distance runner, she does much of her training on her own. I guess after doing it for so many years her training regime must be an ingrained habit which if she didn't do would probably seem completely unnatural. I am sure that this is a habit that if you could bottle it you could make millions!

As the athletics' World Championships draw closer, all eyes will be on the British medal hopes, and these will of course include Paula, as long as she lines up at the start.

The power of passion

2009-08-05T16:05:00.010+01:00

Earlier this week, Sir Bobby Robson sadly lost his long fight against cancer. So many tributes have been paid to him by so many that I could not possibly say anything that has not already been said. However, I would like to explore a little about the word that I heard most used by those who were remembering and paying tribute to him - that word was passion.

Passion, meaning 'great enthusiasm' oozes from people who truly enjoy what they do and in so doing they exhibit an energy and vibrancy that is there for all to see. This is captured prefectly by George Caulkin in The Times when he says "To the end, he carried with him a sense of enchantment; wonder that life had offered him such a rich experience, disbelief that people should love him and venerate him in the way they did......He was defined by energy, enthusiasm and curiosity."

Another individual who showed these characteristics this summer was Ian McGeechan, at 66 a spring chicken compared to Sir Bobby. McGeechan, for many, is the embodiment of all the good things that the British Lions stand for. Despite losing the recent test series against the Springboks, there has been universal acclaim for the way that he has re-established amongst each player what it means to be a Lion and the responsibilities that they have to wear the shirt with pride and to perpetuate the Lions' ethos.

We therefore have 2 examples of men of 76 and 66 who have retained their boyish enthusiasm for the sports that they truly love. Such was this passion that you get the feeling that they would have done their respective jobs for nothing. They are beacons in a world in which increasingly self interest and money rule and hopefully there will be many young sportspeople starting out on their journeys who will select Sir Bobby Robson and Ian McGeechan as role models because of their enduring passion for their sports and the impact that both men have had on the wider community at large. Both are hugely respected and admired not only in the UK but also overseas and not only by football and rugby people but also by people from all walks of life. What legacies!

Too much too soon!

2009-08-03T00:11:00.001+01:00

Rebecca Adlington is a double Olympic Champinon, a world record holder, and last month she received an OBE, and she is not even 21!

This week it is the World Swimming Championships in Rome and she came 4th in the 800m freestyle - her event. Almost a year has past since she became a household name, and is the pressure too much?! Is this media pressure, sport pressure or self induced pressure? Without a crystal ball and getting into Rebecca's head, I guess we will never really know.

For one so young you can certainly appreciate that she must have had to get used to the media spotlight, but how long does that take to get used to, and do you ever get used to it? In a tiny write up in the London Metro she stated "I just need to get away and get back to swimming, and just not do anything else". So what she is saying is that she has lost her focus, and as a result her results in the pool are suffering.

Tom Daly is now a world champion, so it will be interesting to see how he copes, however, I suspect it will be slightly differently as he seems to have always had the spotlight on him! Johnny Wilkson, our much heralded England rugby player said that he always tried to limit the number of things he did outside his sport. Again, was this more maturity, or just Johnny being Johnny? Whatever it was it certainly ensured that he was focused on his game.

Whatever Rebecca decides to do to ensure she gets back on track and doesn't lose her winning habit is up to her. People are different in how they react to pressure, outside challenges and good old stress. Elite athletes are no different, they just need to find out what is not working and fix it - simple! Look at Usain Bolt, he seems to thrive on all the attention, but when it comes to performing on the track, he just gets on and does his thing. If you dig a little deeper you can see how he has managed this and how he has developed mechanisms to cope with the pressure, something extremely valuable and essential for every successful athlete.

I hope that Rebecca's disappointing performance in Rome (her words not mine!) is but a blip on her sporting career. It is how we recover from these blips that make us stronger and show that we are human. You just need to look at David Beckham, Roger Federer, Lewis Hamilton, and of course Dame Kelly Holmes, another double Olympic champion, to show you that you can refocus and achieve even greater success once you regain focus and do what you do best!

The transition from ordinary Rebecca Adlington to Rebecca Adlington swimming sensation seems to be one which has not necessarily been smooth sailing. However, this is often the case with many a successful athlete and Rebecca's future success in her sport is likely to depend on how she rides this current wave of change.

Is Usain Bolt a New Super Hero?

2009-07-27T20:03:00.004+01:00

At the Aviva London Grand Prix (Crystal Palace) on the weekend it was Jamaica fever. Usain Bolt fans were dancing and posing along with the sprinting superstar, and this was just before he raced! Little kids were recognising the Jamaican's dressed in their national colours and loving it - amazing! Is this just the power of one man? I don't think so, but at the moment most young aspiring athletes and fans think this guy is something special. In fact I do too!

With the talk of the Jamaican runners having some positive dope tests and the hype of the likely showdown between Tyson Gay and Usain Bolt in Berlin (don't want to jinx either athlete) all eyes are even more so on the Jamaican sprinting team.

Is Bolt a freak of nature? Who knows? But the boy can run! From what I can see he is determined to show the world that not only can he run fast he can entertain and is one of the good guys. I guess if you were going to create a super hero, these qualities are a good start.

Bolt is a good example of an athlete making a positive transition within his sport. He wanted to run the 100metres years ago, but apparently his coach had other ideas. It looks like his coach knew what he was doing as Bolt is now the fastest man in the world in both the 100 and 200metres sprint.

Bolt is true to his name in that runs like a bolt of lightening, however since the return of injured America's top sprinter Tyson Gay and since Beijing, like most athletes at the top of their game, he has had a bulls eye on his back which all the top class sprinters are aiming for.

Will they catch him? Watch this space.

The World Championships in Berlin start on 15th August. I'll be glued - how about you?

Age is but a number

2009-07-22T19:48:00.001+01:00

When we think of a professional in any industry what do we think they look like? Business attire, smart, sophisticated, maybe a touch of maturity about them, late 20's or above. Stereo typical yes, but do we still think them? Of course!

Well, in the sporting arena professionals come in all shapes and sizes, and some of them are very young. In the world of sport we forget that a 'professional athlete' is still a 'professional'. They are specialists in a particular sport, experts in their field, they have a certain level of experience, they hone their craft, and that is what they spend the majority of their time doing.

By winning the 10m platform in the Diving World Championships Tom Daley, the British diving sensation, has shown that at the tender age of 15 (Gosh, I now feel very old!)has been able to put disappointment behind him (Beijing Olympics) and excel in his chosen sport. In my view a top quality of a true professional. More mature people are not even able to do this, most of us may have given up, or bottled it. Not Tom - he has obviously gone from strength to strength. Out of losing comes winning. Once you keep at it, honing your craft and following a plan, winning can become a habit. Let's just hope that this is now something Tom can get used to and keep doing it.

Whether you are 15 or 50 years old, it doesn't matter, age is but a number when it comes to being professional!

Diving for gold!

2009-07-22T14:18:00.007+01:00

At the weekend Tom Daley added the World 10metre championship to the European one that he already holds - and this at the age of 15 making him the youngest platform world champion in history.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown issued a congratulatory statement on Tuesday, hailing Daley as an "inspiration..........to young people right across the country". Role models play a very important role in inspiring people to excel and Tom Daley may already have laid the foundations for a future world champion from the UK without even being aware of it!

However, there will always be people who are jealous of success and who seek to wreck other people's achievements and dreams. World champions are not immune to this, as Daley found on his return from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, when some of his schoolmates were not happy to have a star in their midst. "Everyone started being stupid and calling me names, throwing bits of paper, tipping my pencil case out in front of the whole class. They were calling me 'diver boy' and saying' how much are your legs worth? I'll break them'.

Although it was not 'high level' bullying it was annoying for Daley and he says "When I was annoyed at school I started to get annoyed at diving. Daley subsequently enrolled at a public school, Plymouth College, which appreciates the importance of combining education with sport, and as he says "I'm much happier now I can concentrate on diving".

What has enabled Tom Daley to press on and excel, despite the bullies, are characteristics common to all elite athletes such as his undoubted passion for what he is doing and an uncompromising commitment to being the best that he can be. These, combined with the fact that action was taken to deal with something outside of his sport that was beginning to adversely impact on his diving performance, were major contributors to the result that was there for all to see at the weekend in Rome.

Welcome Back Jessica!

2009-07-13T19:26:00.000+01:00

Welcome back Jessica!

With a flash of a grin and a top performance at the UK National Championships and the World Trials in Birmingham, Jessica Ennis showed that she is back with full force.

Jessica showed us what champions are made of. After her annus horribilus last year she looks faster, stronger and better than ever. After scoring 3 PB's on the weekend, and making it look rather easy, you can only admire her sheer grit and determination to get back to full fitness and peak performance, she is truly a classy athlete. The focus, dedication, and sheer hardwork she must have put into her training to come back this year after her disappointment at not being able to go the Olympics, through injury, just shows you what professional athletes have to go through to reach the top of their sport.

I am sure that all track and field fans will be looking forward to seeing what she can do in the World Championships in Berlin, and of course beyond.

Go Jessica!

True Grit

2009-07-05T23:38:00.001+01:00

The Federer V Roddick final was a thriller for those who wanted Roddick to win and sheer torture for those who wanted history to be made (tennis play who has won the most grand slams) and Roger to regain the No. 1 spot on the ATP tour.

I had the pleasure and privilege of watching the fifth set live and just about left the court with my finger nails in tact! Roddick played his socks off, but Federer, like a dog with his favourite bone, was not going to give up. Such determination is what champions are made of and Roddick unfortunately was on the wrong end of Federer digging dip and showing that it is not just ability, talent and hardwork which dicatates success, but true grit when it really matters.

What next for Federer? Well, the patter of tiny feet awaits and then who knows!

Talent vs Ability

2009-06-29T19:51:00.004+01:00

After listening to Hamid Hejazi of Inside Tennis on Radio Wimbledon this morning, it was rather interesting that he chose to use the word ability rather than talent when referring to spotting young tennis players. In my opinion he is absolutely right, to make the distinction between the two and concentrate on spotting ability and not talent in young athletes.

One can have ability that, if not channeled or even identified, will not be turned into a great talent. For example, can you imagine how the history books would read if Roger Federer aged 11 was not able to channel his ability to become what is arguably one of the best ever tennis players? He has taken his athletic ability, his ability to focus , his ability to be precise, and his ability to learn and has grown into one of the best shot makers of the game. We all have the ability to do something, whether or not that is physical or mental. It is what we do with that ability which defines wheter or not we have a talent, hidden or otherwise.

Pressure pot

2009-06-18T19:49:00.002+01:00

How do you handle pressure?

Andy Murray normally looks pretty focused out on court. He says that he doesn't feel the pressure now that he goes into this years' Wimbledon as the victor at Queens.

Tim Henman had seemingly the weight of England on his shoulders when he came on court at Wimbledon. Does Murray have the weight of Scotland? Who knows! I think that anybody with blood in their viens is entitled to feel a little pressure going in to a tournament as No. 3 in the world and seeded No.3. Pressure can be good and pressure can be bad. I guess it just depends on how you are made up and how you handle it. I don't think that I am necessarily one of those people who works well under pressure, but I don't crumble when faced with difficult situations. Some athletes thrive on the pressure of competition. Usain Bolt for example seems to take it all in his stride and he rises to the occassion, whereas his compatriot, Asafa Powell, seems to find it difficult to perform his best at the big competitions, even when he is the favourite.

Confidence and self belief have a huge role to play when handling competitive pressure, and I beleive that Andy Murray is at his most confident, and that is worth its weight in gold in the world of sport. Being able to deal with pressure is a quality of top performers and every successful sports person has had to do this in order to win.

Andy Murray has show that he can do this, evidenced by his win at Queens last weekend. Only time will tell if he is able to translate that to the grass of SW19.

So near, yet so far for England

2009-06-15T19:45:00.004+01:00

Twenty20 Cricket - the West indies vs England - divided loyalties? Yes. Exciting match? Yes. Do I understand the DL rule? No!

Yesterday the Windies beat England. England had the 1st and managed to score 161 runs off 5 wickets. When the Windies came in to bat the rain came, they subsequently only had 9 overs to make 80 runs. So how did they respond? As only the West Indies know how, the wacked the ball over the place and scored the necessary runs. Being born to West Indian parents in England I must say that I love to see the Windies win in cricket.

Cricket is a funny old sport. When you consider test cricket it can take days to complete an innings, let alone a match, and after all that it can still end in a draw! At the end of the West Indies vs England match the West Indies captain (Reifer) said that they had been relying on Chris Gayle too much and that this time they all stepped up to the plate and did what they had to do. This is exactly what a good team is supposed to do. The West Indies demonstrated that it is the sum of the parts which make up the whole, but of course having a bright star on your team cannot do you any harm.

Team spirit and women in sport

2009-06-14T18:53:00.003+01:00

Women in sport - a big shout out to all the women playing in the Twenty20. Watching the news last night I was rather flummoxed that after reporting rather extensively on what was going on in the men's game the news caster quickly mentioned that the England women's team had beaten Sri Lanka.

Now for those who follow cricket they will appreciate that the England women are rather handy, they are the current World Champions. I love sport, any sport, but I do have a bug bear about the amount of, or rather lack of sport, that is reported on when it involves women.

Women's cricket has come a long way and we have a great ambassador for the sport in Charlotte Woods (England's captain) to thank for that. The England ladies have a great team spirit and no doubt that team spirit helps them remain so successful.

If, like me, you want to keep up to date with women in sport, why not visit www.sportsister.com.

Game, set and match!

2009-06-07T18:06:00.001+01:00

On Sunday, Federer has achieved what only 5 men before him have, and only one of these is in the modern era, and that was to be the winner of all four grand slams after beating Robin Soderling in the French Open final.

Unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of watching the whole match, however what I did see wasn't bad. What am I talking about?! What I did see was a champion become a champion of champions. Unfortunately for his competitor he made it look , not easy, but par for the course.

As we always do in Sporting Soul we look to dig deeper than just the results of sporting competitions and look behind what makes the wins, losses and draws. Looking at Roger Federer, 27 years old, born in Switzerland (and still living in Switzerland) what do we see? Dedication, discipline, control, persistence, calm, patience, diligence, the list goes on. The more matches you see Federer play you can almost see his brain working out when he is going to pounce on his opponent and play the killer forehand, backhand, volley or ace which will give him a break point. When it doesn't go to plan you can just, only just, see his frustration. He appears relatively calm on court, no grunting or challenging line calls. However, for those in the know will be aware that a few years ago he was a regular breaker of rackets, and sometimes that anger, at himself, raises its ugly head, but all in all he has managed to tame that beast. So, on court he is calm, but he certainly shows his emotions freely when he wins or losses. Who could forget those tears at the Australian Open earlier this year? It is obvious that he is passionate about tennis and what it means to him and the time he gives to the fans also shows how appreciative he is of their support.

Perfect? - No. A complete and supremely professional champion? Absolutely!

Robin Soderling after the match said that he was treated to a master class out there on the red clay of Roland Garros. Well, by watching Federer both on and off the court I certainly think that young sportspeople around the world got more than that.

Congratulations to Roger Federer on his first French Open win - may you have many more. (Well, perhaps not if your name is Murray, Nadal, Djokovic .....!)

Oarsome performance at rowing world cup!

2009-06-01T13:28:00.003+01:00

Team GB won 9 of 14 gold medals on offer at the weekend, at the opening World Cup rowing regatta of 2009 in Spain, as well as a silver and a bronze. What a magnificent performance in a sport in which we are truly world class.

Together with a number of other sports in which we excel at sitting down - much to the derision of the Aussies in the last Olympics (so we must be doing something right!) - GB Rowing has an excellent and proven talent ID, nurturing and development programme. Evidence of this is the fact that the men's quadruple scull, which won the silver medal behind the Olympic champions from Poland, is the first complete crew to to come out of its formal programme, World Class Start.

At the other end of the spectrum, but equally impressive, is the gold medal won by Katherine Grainger in the women's single scull in her first outing in what is a new event for her. A three-time Olympic silver medallist in the quad sculls Katherine Grainger has been able to successfully transfer her athletic and mental skills to this new discipline with stunning results.

One sensed her tremendous disappointment and frustration at 'only winning another silver medal' in Beijing last year and she has proved to herself that she has the talent to thrive in an individual as well as a team event. I'm sure that she'd be the first to acknowledge however that it would not be possible to do this without a very supportive backroom team who are usually the unsung heroes and who operate as the submerged part of an iceberg.

As the saying goes, 'class is permanent and form is temporary' and our rowers have proved yet again that they have a truly world class culture.

Lewis Hamilton - My Story

2009-05-31T20:53:00.005+01:00

Lewis Hamilton is one of my favourite young sporting people at the moment. For one so young he has achieved so much.

However, certainly for this F1 season, things are not all going his way. He is certainly having to overcome some serious challenges this year and it will be interesting to see how he fairs come the end of the season.

I am currently reading his book "Lewis Hamilton - My Story" (2007). By his own admission this book is not an autobiography, but an inspirational book about how he achieved his success and a book to reveal a little more about the young man behind the wheel. In other words, the book will give you an insight into the real person behind the sports person.

Being able to see the real person behind the sportsperson is something that as the general public we don't often get to see. Often we see the sports men and women and think that the persona they display in the sporting arena, is the same as their persona in everyday life. More often than not, this is not the case. Also, more often than not an athlete's sporting persona is something that they don't necessarily want to be known for, they want to perhaps been seen as more than a once dimensional character. I certainly know from the athletes I have met and worked with, that there is definitely much to be seen behind the face of our sporting heroes and heroines, some surprising and some not so surprising. But most of all it is important to know that they really are just like you and me, but have applied themselves in the most extraordinary way in the sporting arena.

I have yet to finish Lewis's book, but at the moment I am finding it an interesting read. I will let you know what I really think when I have finished!

If you are Hamilton fan, he has released a special edition of his story, click here to view.

And not to be out done, by someone is almost half my age, check out my attempts at raching below - Just to avoid confusion I am the one on the left!

Everyone look at Laura! – a name to remember, perhaps?!

2009-05-24T21:31:00.006+01:00

It was the WAG British Championships on the bank holiday weekend and I certainly was watching Laura. Now why was I looking at Laura? Well – I have known Laura all her life, in fact I have known Laura even before she was born! She is the daughter of a family friend and boy is she a pocket rocket.

I have always loved gymnastics, and Laura is a great young gymnast. I cannot believe the amount of power and grace she can generate from that tiny frame. She was competing against the best that Britain, and the world, could offer on Sunday at the Guildford Spectrum. Although is was a team competition every performance had the possibility of counting towards the teams overall all score, so it didn’t do you any harm, if you had Beth Tweddle, Olympic and European Champion on your team, as team Liverpool did.

Talking of our Olympic champion, I was able to watch her Olympic parallel bars routine and wow! Speed, accuracy and sheer audacious moves, just made some of the other competitors, though good, seem almost pedestrian.

Team Heathrow were a solid team and everyone performed well, no one fell off the beam (how they even stay on it just standing up amazes me!) and only one fall off the bars. This fall was unfortunately by Laura, who luckily was not hurt seriously, but it was rather a spectacular one. Whilst Dad was videoing her performance I heard the sharp intake of breath as she came off the bars and then heard it release as she got up, dusted herself off and eventually gave us a smile. We later found out that her hand grip got caught on the top bar, just as she was about to dismount, so she was unable to release at the right moment, and thus came off in the most bizarre position - she was as shocked as everyone else that she came off!

How any parent endures such drama is beyond me, I am just a family friend and I was literally holding my breath every time she went up in to the air. I was sat next to Laura’s Dad, Grandma and Aunt, with Mum going paler by the minute in the row behind me. I just can’t imagine what was going through their minds.

Despite this Laura’s team (Team Heathrow) managed to take 2^nd place overall, just 1 point behind Team Liverpool – good job!

For such a young team I thought that they showed great poise and support for each other during the competition and the crowd was brilliant. You can never under estimate how the crowd support makes a difference to the competitors. Squeals of delight came from the audience (and that was just me!) when dismounts were planted squarely and lots of “c’mon Laura’s!” I must say I did have a slight ringing in my ears after the event was over, whether that was from the exuberant spectators behind me, or Laura’s Aunt I will never know!

An enjoyable day was had by all, even Laura, so who knows she might even be following in the footsteps of Miss Tweddle come 2012.

To take your own look at Laura, click here.

A gale blows through the Windies!

2009-05-18T22:37:00.003+01:00

It probably comes as no surpise that the Windies lost their 2nd consecutive test match in the UK by an innings earlier today when only last week their captain, Chris Gayle, was reported to have said that he wanted to focus on the short form of the game, ie limited overs, having just flown back from the 20:20 IPL in South Africa.

Gayle claims that he was misquoted but the impact of the publicity surrounding his alleged statements probably did as much harm to the Windies' cause as did the inclement and cold weather at Durham. Whilst the weather conditions clearly favoured the home side it was disappointing to see through their body language how indifferent most of the Windies' team were especially since they had battled manfully in the Caribbean to win the Wisden Trophy.

In such conditions it can hardly have helped their cause to have doubts about their captain's commitment to test cricket. It is essential that the leader of any team sends out positive vibes, especially in challenging circumstances, and does not allow negative feelings or doubts to surface which will deflect the team from their primary goal.

A winning mentality

2009-05-18T11:25:00.002+01:00

The premiership of both football and rugby were settled last Saturday with Manchester Utd and Leicester Tigers being the respective winners. Both clubs have been at or near to the top of their sports for the last 15years or more so what is it that separates them from the majority of other clubs in their sports?

What is noticeable is that both clubs have the abilty to win matches in the last 15minutes of matches and /or win close matches when not at their best. It is a mark of all top performing teams that they play with the same intensity for the full length of a game and 'never know when they are beaten'.

Opposition know that when they are playing against such teams that they have to be at their absolute best to win and so it also places extra pressure on them. In order to compete, they often expend a lot of energy in the first half of matches and then are unable to sustain the same level of intensity in the second half. It's almost as if Man utd and Leicester Tigers have an extra player on their side. He is called Winning Mentality and he helps to create an aura of invincibility.

In the last month, Man Utd have often been behind in games but have snatched victory from the jaws of deafeat when one of their players has produced a moment of inspiration. Similarly, Leicester Tigers have won 3 big matches recently in the last minute of the game, by way of a penalty shoot out and by 1 point respectively. I would suggest that this is not an acident for either club.

A winning mentality is about self belief and in such tight situations, either consciously or sub consciously, they have the ability to incorporate what Sir Clive Woodward called TCUP - Think Clearly Under Pressure. This is built on an individual and team/club confidence but one with firm foundations that is borne out of previous experiences and full confidence in their preparation and team mates. It permeates the whole club and spurs them on to stay at the top and to be the best. It is this that gives them a competitive edge and why they have been able to have such consistent success.

Rafa vs Fed

2009-05-17T17:01:00.001+01:00

Is Rafael Nadal to Roger Federer what kryptonite is to Superman?

Nadal and Federer now have one of those rivalries which may become like McEnroe vs Borg or Agassi vs Sampras. Ranked world number 1 and 2 respectively they have become the titans of tennis today.

The Madrid Masters will see them go head to head yet again, but this time on clay in Spain. Would you bet against Nadal?!

Looking back at Federer's record you could say that he was having a bad year, but he is still the no. 2 player in the world. He was beaten in the Australian Open final by none other than Nadal and today he will look to get than monkey off his back and beat Nadal on Nadal's favourite surface.

I don't know about you, but when I watch Federer I just wish that I could play like that. To me his game is grace and poise which has to be a natural talent which he has honed to perfection.

It is definitely a new phase for Federer at the moment, he is newly married, baby on the way and he is not winning everything that there is to win. I guess it was always going to be tough to improve upon what almost seemed like a perfect game. I believe that he has not had a coach for such a long time, and we all know how important it is, regardless how good you are, to have someone guiding and supporting you. I am not saying that Federer doesn't have this, but he didn't have this in the traditional way. It will be interesting to see who ends up the victor at the end of today.

PS. Since writing this post, Federer has beaten Nadal in the Madrid Masters. Perhaps Superman has found a cure for kryptonite?!

Talent alone is not enough

2009-05-15T09:22:00.003+01:00

How often have we heard that 'talent alone is not enough' and yet many sports continue to recruit individuals who may have the athletic talent but not the emotional talent to go with it.

In a recent interview, Martin Johnson, aka Johno, the England Rugby Team Manager says “What you do, how you behave and what you are is as important as what happens in that 80 minutes,” Johnson says. “We want guys who even if they have a bad game, we know everything they are doing is going in the right direction, the character, the work ethic. We just know they are good people.

You ask me what the best teams had, the '95 grand slam with England, the Clive [Woodward] years, Leicester? Mostly it was good characters, strong characters, honest people. There are people who try to kid themselves in life but you can't do that in rugby - not to yourself, not to your team-mates. If they are good people, you can ride out those bumps in the road".

Who would you rather have in your team when the going gets tough, a highly talented individual who performs really well against easy opposition or in a low profile event but who 'underperforms' on the big stage or an honest and determined individual who gives their all every time they are asked to perform?

Really top managers and coaches can identify what it takes to be a top performer and are highly skilled in choosing people with a range of talents (and increasingly people from different cutures), to not only draw the best out of the individual but also mould teams that perform to a consistently high standard. Although he often polarises opinions, you don't have to look further than Sir Alex Ferguson for someone who clearly understands that the 'character' of the person behind the public persona is what counts in creating a high performance culture. It is not luck that has kept him at the very top of his profession for over 20years.

Coppell for parliament?

2009-05-15T09:00:00.004+01:00

As Steve Coppell announced his decision this week to resign as manager of Reading FC, following their failure to gain promotion back to the Premier League the season after they were relegated,
several things struck me.

He presented himself with great dignity and exceptionally well even turning down a kiss from one of the ladies from the media as an incentive for him to change his mind! He was open and honest with his answers and expressed his desire to continue his football education and learn from others.

Even more impressive perhaps, in an age where it is fashionable to blame others for their shortcomings, is that he took personal responsibility for Reading's failure to win promotion. As he said 'my sole intention was to gain promotion and that was the only reason that I stayed after last year's relegation. A manager is judged by results and we had enough firepower and opportunity'.

Compare this to the MP's expenses' scandal, which has hit the press in recent days, whereby MPs from all parties are seeking to justify their actions because they were not against the 'rules'. Can they truly not see how foolish they are in seeking to blame the system? A heartfelt apology rather than one that is designed to score political points, as evidenced by one government minister belatedly parading her cheque in front of the media for unpaid capital gains tax would be much more honourable.

MPs could learn a lot from Steve Coppell in the way that he took personal responsibility which is one of the qualities that true professionals have in abundance and which separates the truly great from the rest.

There is no 'I' in team!

2008-11-02T23:01:00.004Z

Sorry about the cliche, but Lewis Hamilton has shown us quite clearly that to win a F1 Racing Championship you have to work as a team.

In interviews post his nail biting victory her 'we, we, we'ed' all the way home! What I know about F1 racing is certainly not going to win me any medals in that sport, but what I do know about is sport and what it takes to win, and the 'we' mentality is certainly one of the major factors. Successful sports men and women around the world do not just owe their success to their own hard work, dedication, sacrifice, talent and persistence, but they also owe and attribute their success to those who have supported them, guided them, chastised them, encouraged them, comforted them, praised them, advised them, and listened to them, on a daily basis throughout their sporting careers.

In Africa they say it takes a village to raise a child. Well I say it takes close knit support team who value the individual to make a successful sports person.

Well done Lewis - you and your team did just great, no man is an island. (couldn't resist!)

Olympic Relay Anyone?

2008-08-25T17:11:00.000+01:00

How hard can it be to run with a small baton in your hand, pass it on to a team member, let go and repeat 3 times?

Well - if you saw the women and men's 4x100 relay final heats and finals at the Beijing Olympics you might be thinking - "perhaps it is not as easy as it looks!". Having run the odd relay in my day I can actually testify that running full pelt with a baton in your hand is a sinch - factor in passing it on to someone else running at fullish pelt and a line you can't cross - not so easy!

To pull it off it requires teamwork, good communication skills, speed, judgement, confidence and putting that all together under pressure is not that simple. This was all too apparent whilst watching the track and field relays at this years Olympics. I have watched numerous relays on tv and live where really fast teams, drop, fumble, run out of the box, go into someone else's lane, you name it. All in the quest to finsh first over the line with baton in hand - victorious! To see two relay races which are near perfect you just need to watch the Men's 4x100 GB team of Athens, 2000 and the Men's 4x400GB Team at the World Championships in Tokyo, 1991. There everything worked, skills, speed, cofindence and teamwork, the result - gold medals for both teams.

Talent alone does not make a successful team or sportsperson. It always comes down to good teamwork, something that even individuals sports women and men know. Just talk to Kris Akabusi, the anchor man of the 4x400 team in Tokyo.

If you haven't had the pleasure of seeing this race go to.

Maybe we can't do 8, but what about 2?

2008-08-21T20:36:00.001+01:00

It has been a long time since a female GB team swimmer has walked away with a gold medals, so when I saw Rebecca Adlington come home with 2 gold medals I certainly took notice.

Yet again I was up at silly o'clock looking at some amazing feats of athletic ability. Her bubbly self confidence was certainly obvious in her poolside chats with Sharon Davis, and we are surely going to see more of her on the world stage.

Another one to watch no doubt in 2012!

Michael Phelps - Man or Fish?

2008-08-17T20:15:00.002+01:00

Michael Phelps the American swimming sensation has to be the star of the Beijing Olympics. 8 gold medals in this day and age is a lot of bling!

I am not a particular fan of swimming, but this year's Olympics in the gorgeous aquatic centre have been rather special. As well as Phelps' 8 gold medal haul we also seen our very own Rebecca Adlington win 2 gold medals in the pool. I have been getting up at silly o'clock (3 am) to watch Mr Phelps and Co take the waters.

Swimmers put in a tremendous amount of training, not that everyone doesn't do the same, but the time he spends in the pool training and competing is probably as much time as anybody spends on dry land! I 've seen swimmers train and it seems boring, repetitive and tiring!

Some of the qualities of top performers include, confidence, postivie mental attitude, being goal oriented, persistent, and seek to overcome challenges, to name but a few. Michael Phelps has displayed them all at this Olympics. Phelps has been a joy to watch as he makes a spot for himsel in Olympic swimming history, and who knows what he will do when, and or if, he competes on UK soil in 2012.

I guess we will all have to watch this space.

To view a short clip of the marvel check him out here.

Young Professionals

2007-10-01T09:48:00.001+01:00

After the reprimanding of two young tennis players, for what seemingly appeared to be "normal teenage behaviour" (according to my sources - my teenage years are well behind me!), I had to ask myself and others, "What does it really mean to be a professional sports person?". It also raised the question, "Who are funded athletes accountable to?"

In the case of the two tennis players it was certainly the LTA who imposed the sanctions and made it known to the public that this behaviour was not acceptable. I hate to be in two minds about any issue, but this particular one does have me in two minds. On the one hand you don't want to see talented athletes playing the fool and not appearing to be responsible, but on the other hand you don't want them to not have no social life and have no fun at all. It has been show that having a varied and full life, that is one which includes some activities and involvement with things outside of one's sport, enables an athlete to be one that can cope with different challenges more easily and also become an athlete who can make a smoother transition from being a "professional" sports person to a "former" athlete.

It is a delicate balance between the two I think. However, the message that the LTA is giving, although perhaps harsh, is one which certainly shows young athletes that they do have a responsibility to others, not just themselves to be professional at all times, but also that they should not be taking anything for granted, regardless of their talent.

The LTA have made a bold decision and are sticking by it and I hope that it does have an effect an all athletes, not just tennis players, to show that when they have a duty to be as professional as they can be regardless of age or talent, youthfulness is not always a defence!

What is real sportsmanship?

2007-09-06T11:28:00.000+01:00

The Athletics World Championships which took place in Osaka last week are finally over. Such excitement ensued over what seemed to be a rather long Championships.

Team GB overachieved in the medal stakes by getting 5 medals instead of the projected 3. Well done! I was mightily impressed by the starlets of the GB Team, Nicola Sanders and Christine Ohuruoghu. They showed great guts and determination to pull off a hatrick of medals, and who would have thought that Christine would come home with the top prize, a gold medal?

Throughout the Championships all competitors showed the world how much effort must go in to getting to World Class level, and also how much it means to them when the hard work pays off; even how hard it can be to take when it does not pay off. Jo Pavey again ran her socks off in the 5,000 metres only to be worn down by the speedy Africans. However, even though she did not place in a medal winning spot, she did get a season's best time.

The one thing for me however, which put a bad taste in my mouth during the Championships, were the comments made by Kelly Sotherton regarding the silver medal heptathlete, Lyudmila Blonska from the Ukraine. Sotherton bemoaned the fact that Blonska had just come off a 2 year ban from athletics due to a doping violation and that she felt that she may well still be under the influence. Sotherton commented on how she thought the crowd were not supporting Blonska and neither were the other heptathletes. Now, personally I think that these comments were rather inappropriate as there is, as yet, no evidence to show that Blonska is taking anything to enhance her performance. Also, as to whether or not the crowd and other competitors are supporting her is for them to say and not Sotherton. In my view, Sotherton overstepped the mark and showed that she has yet to show real sportsmanship.

Even after winning the bronze medal she could not bring herself to talk about how perhaps she could have focused on making her performance better, particularly the javelin discipline, but concentrated on focusing on the performance of a competitor she had doubts about.

Perhaps there are things which have gone on behind the scenes which we are not privy to, but I still think that the best sportsmanship is to let your performance do the talking and not your mouth!

Another one to watch!

2007-08-30T10:59:00.000+01:00

I am not a talent scout, and neither am I a sports analyst. What I am is a specialist in career transition and when an article was brought to my attention by my business partner, Peter, I took notice. That article was the one which appeared in the Times Tuesday 21 August, by Oliver Kay profiling Micah Richards the Man City prodigy who learnt his football skills the Brazilian way.

The article was of interest to me because of the mere mention that what Richards achieves physically is technically a mystery, as some scientists would have you think that he is too short and too heavy to do what he does on the football field. Well, Richards is proving one that he is defying what scientists would have you think, and secondly he is also proving that to become a rising star in the world of professional football you have to be your own person. There are always different strategies to achieve your targets and goals. Sometimes that little bit of 'X' factor added to discipline, passion and hard work can make all the difference.

We talk often of rising stars and it will be interesting to see how Micah Richards cultivates his early success into a long and prosperous career.

Smooth Transitions

2007-08-22T16:09:00.000+01:00

Many of you might not realise it, but it is actually summer in the UK! It is usually a great time to watch some exhilarating sport, but if Wimbledon and the latest Cricket Test Match are anything to go by sports fans are going to have to suffer for their passion.

There was however some sun a few weekends ago, and I was able to enjoy watching the the London Triathlon earlier in the month. Now, what a sport triathlon is, 3 gruelling events one after the other with barely much time to pause between each one. For those who are not up to speed with triathlon, the swim is first, followed by the cycle then after all of that the competitors have to hop off their bikes and run to the finish line. Whilst people were busy watching the thousands of competitors swimming, cycling and running around East London, I was amazed at how different competitors made such quick transitions between each discipline. After the swim you could see all the bikes lined up with helmets and sometimes shoes attached placed in strategic positions so that the athletes could get shoes and helmets on with as little fuss as possible. Some of course are past masters and could seemingly gets shoes, helmet and bike on the move in what seemed like one swift motion - amazing! And of course in a triathlon the transition phases can save you valuable time and also extend or close down a gap between competitors.

Watching all of these athletes go through this process certainly made me think about how transition in our lives can be rough or smooth depending on how we handle them, but if we want them to go smoothly it certainly helps if we; 1) Plan, 2) Prepare, 3) Practice and apply 4) Positive Action.

How many of us look at changes in our lives, or careers like that and follow these phases?

We are all going to experience different types of transitions in our careers; apparently the latest statistics state that we will all have at least 3 different careers in our working lives, and some of those important career transitions are going to be life changing, so like the triathlete who makes sure that their transitions run smoothly in their competitive lives it is interesting to see that not all athletes pay so much attention to such transitions in their career. We have seen many a budding star falter just as their star is rising, likewise we have seem many a professional athlete fall from grace at the very top and then there are others who have floundered when their sporting careers have come to a gracious end.

Q. What makes an athlete, or in fact anyone, make a smooth transition from one phase of their career to another?

A. I think that it has something to do with those 4P's, don't you?

Severing your ties!

2007-07-17T10:28:00.000+01:00

Seve Ballesteros has just announced his retirement from golf which, by his own admission, was the ' hardest decision of his career'.

He experienced the heart versus head conflict which so many sportspeople feel when entering the latter stages of their sporting careers. Notwithstanding his ailing health (well documented back and knee problems), the decision still seems to have been a torment for him. On this occasion, the head won.

Perhaps his decision was made (slightly) easier by the fact that his performances had fallen away significantly and he comes across as a man of great pride. He missed the cut on 22 over par at this year's Masters and finished joint last (with Lee Trevino) on his debut on the US Seniors Tour in May. In an individual sport, there is no hiding place and therefore less opportunity for self-delusion. You are literally 'on your own' in the theatre of performance.

However, now that he has made his decision, on his terms, he can channel his positive energies into ' his 3 children, his companies and his friends'. Letting go and coping with the process of adjustment are a major challenge but at least he has taken the most important decision in the process. He can now focus on being successful in the next phase of his life.

There is no 'I' in Team

2007-07-10T10:57:00.000+01:00

The title of this may be a bit of a cliché, but none the less it is still true!

Justin Henin played beautifully whilst at Wimbledon and never has a player shown how important it is to have a team who fully supports them. During her match with Serena Williams she certainly played some beautiful and powerful tennis.

However, she was constantly looking up to her support team in the players area. Of course, some players do this more than others, but recently Henin has had a rather turbulent private life, with reconciliations and partings with both her father and her husband, so you can perhaps understand that she seeks that support more then ever.

What she has shown is that despite these goings on she has continued to have a passion for her tennis and has been able to come through the turbulent times with renewed vigour and, of course, with the support of her family and coaching team.

Andy Roddick 'The Come Back Kid' is Still Only 24 years old!

2007-06-12T11:53:00.000+01:00

Andy Roddick was once the World Number One in Tennis. They are calling him the come back kid and he is still only 24 years old. Is it me, or is this not still relatively young?!

I may have given the game away about my age with the previous comment, but I do feel that 24 years old is still quite young. The good news for Roddick fans is that he is indeed back with a bang. Roddick won the 2007 Artois Championships, over the weekend, for the fourth time.

Roddick has certainly had a dip in his form as was evident by his slip down the top 10. This only goes to show you that it is tough to stay at the top, to stay motivated and to stay on form consistently. This is why it is amazing to look at some of the all time greats, to see what McEnroe, Lendl, Agassis, Sampras and Bjorg achieved during their tennis careers. However, they all had ebbs and flows and none moreso than Andre Agassi who, after a huge drop in form, came back even stronger, faster and tougher than ever, and only retired last year!

Andy Roddick may have lost his way a little, but don't we all at some time or the other? The good thing is that he has found a way to get back on track and looking stronger, faster and tougher than ever - what more could he ask for?

Getting Older is Par for the Course, but What About Getting Wiser?

2007-06-12T11:24:00.000+01:00

Geoff Ogilvy is not yet really a household name, but he is last years' US Open Golf Winner.

After winning the US Open last year, Ogilvy has kept good form. As well as getting himself into golf's top ten players he has remained one of the world's top ten golfers. He seems to have coped with the pressure and yet, interestingly enough, he admits that, despite the success he has had over the last couple of years, he has not always been the most positive. According to journalist, Paul Mahoney, Ogilvy lacked self-belief and used to be 'an angry young man'. Ogilvy himself says that he used to walk down the fairway muttering about how bad a player he was and asking himself how he could possibly tour with a game like that.

Ogilvy admits that if his caddie spoke to him like that he would dispense with his services quite quickly. Now he has been around the block a few times he is wiser and less angry and says that "As you get older, though, you get wiser. You look at other guys stomping around and realise what an ass you look like when you do it".

Not all sportspeople seem to realise that even after having been in a sport for a long time there can still be a lot to learn. It is refreshing to see that Ogilvy sees that in himself and that self-awareness will surely help him well during his career.

So, Geoff Ogilvy, who is not yet 30, acknowledges that as he gets older he is certainly getting a little wiser!

Who is behind the sporting mask?

2007-06-08T14:56:00.000+01:00

For many professional and elite sportspeople retiring from active participation in sport is one of the hardest decisons they will face. The current insatiable desire for celebrities often keeps many sortspeople in the public eye. This can be a double edged sword because for some they lose a sense of their real identity. When they retire from their sport they are unsure as to who they really are.

In a similar way, it is interesting that actors/actresses, get acclaimed not for being themselves but for being who they are not by taking on the personality of their character. How many would be acclaimed in this way if the true person behind the public mask was revealed?

Sportspeople are often surrounded by many people claiming to be their friends whilst they are famous and are at the top of their sport. Additionally, so much is done for them that they don't really have to think too much about day-to-day matters. When they finish their careers not only does this whole support mechanism disappear but also the framework of their life is dismantled. The rug is therefore been pulled from under them and they fall off the pedestal on which the public and the media have placed them. No wonder this is a time of great vulnerability for many.

It is often the case that the greater the talent and the greater the media acclaim the harder is the adjustment. Paul Gascoigne's well documented problems, incuding depression and alcohol, are a familiar manifestation of this. His recent operation for a perforated ulcer also suggests that his health is deteriorating too.

Whose responsibility is it to help sportspeople to deal with the many challenges that they face during their active sporting careers?
How can sportspeople retain a sense of who is the real them?
How can sportspeople give themselves the best chance of making a seamless transition into their new life and career?
Why is it that some sports are more supportive of the ongoing personal development of their 'athletes' than others?

These are some of the key questions that both individuals and their clubs and/or governing bodies need to address if we are to produce well rounded sportspeople who can become real role models for who they are in their own right.

The Young Talent of UK Athletics

2007-06-05T10:44:00.000+01:00

It looked cold, wet and miserable during the Glasgow Athletics Grand Prix over the weekend, but there were definitely some sunny spells with great performances from two of Britain's up and coming athletes Nicola Sanders and Craig Pickering.

Both of them performed well in their respective races (300m & 100m), but what struck me was their confidence both on and off the track. Both of them show amazing poise at the beginning of their races and also when being interviewed they are both articulate, confident and focused on their ultimate goals.

Where do they get it from?

Is it their family? Is it their education? Is it their culture? Is it genetics? Is it their individual personality? Is it their coach? Is it their friends? Is it sheer talent? It is quite clearly a combination of all of those things and more. The sum of the whole is made up of very strong parts.

I certainly believe that an individuals formula for success can be quite unique and the different factors which make up that formula need to be top notch in order for the formula to be successful. Sir Clive Woodward has said that for a team to play well, everyone in that team has to play well, and I think that for an individual sport such as track and field that philosophy still holds true. It is just that in athletics, instead of team mates, competitors have different aspects of themselves which have to all perform well at the same time.

Sanders and Pickering are certainly two athletes that I enjoy watching and look forward to watching them compete as the athletic season progresses, their energy and love of their sport is almost tangible and quite infectious.

The press are hailing them as bright stars, so now the summer season is well on its way let's just see how they get on with the big girls and boys!

Don't Forget the Important Things!

2007-05-30T09:53:00.002+01:00

Carolina Kluft is back in action. Kluft the worlds top heptathlete, is gracious, elegant, driven and, I would say, downright 'classy'. She is still only 24 but seems to have accomplished so much over the years as a competitor and as a person.

In a recent interview in response to questions about whether or not she could be beaten her response was; "Of course, no one can always win, and I will get beaten some day. But I know that, if I lose, my life will not disappear." Kluft has a firm grip on what makes her tick and this is probably what ensures that she competes at such a high level so consistently.

The effervescent Swede comes across as a realist, but also as someone who has a good perspective on how she wants to live her life and what is important to her. Perhaps this is why she appears to enjoy every moment when she is competing and seems to get on with all the other athletes so well.

When asked about lucky charms she mentioned that she carries a little donkey with her, but avoids attaching too much importance to it as other competitors might do to their lucky charms. She said that if she forgot him it would not bring her bad luck, however she did say that her little donkey is more of a reminder of what sport is about, and not to forget the most important things.

Carolina Kluft is a wonderful competitor to watch, but she also seems like a wonderful person for other up and coming athletes to use as an example of getting the right balance in your life and career to ensure that you remain true to yourself, and most of all so you remember the important things.

League Football Education (LFE) Leads the Way in Career Transition for Young Footballers

2007-05-24T19:04:00.000+01:00

The Football Season is slowly but surely coming to an end and it is the time when contracts run out and unfortunately it is also the time when many players, some older and some younger, get released.

In a young footballer's life, particularly when all they have dreamt about is becoming a footballer, finding out that they are no longer wanted by their club and the chances of signing up with another are slim can be more than a bit tough. It can be a time of great anxiety, frustration, anger and emotional turmoil.

The LFE have recognised the need to put a structure in place to manage the 'fall out' of the current apprentice football system and power to them. They have recognised that the young apprentices (16-18 year olds) need additional guidance and support during and after they leave the game of football. Through their links with Jobscene they have recently been putting on career and education fairs all over the country so that clubs can send their players to explore their educational and career options further.

Career transition for young professional sports people is often an area which is overlooked. Why? I am not sure. Perhaps it is because they are seen as having plenty of years left to start a new career, or perhaps the view is that because they have not been in the sport for that long it is not so much a part of their DNA as more 'long in the tooth' competitors.

Whatever the reason I think that it is something that needs to be addressed, like the way the LFE are doing, so that young talent can be nurtured and channelled into other areas of sport, or other industries which might otherwise lose out.

A Winning Culture

2007-05-16T16:15:00.000+01:00

Kevin Pietersen in a recent interview, which was aired on the BBC programme Inside Sport, stated that the England cricket team needed to develop a winning culture, which he thought the Australians undoubtedly have.

So what is a winning culture?

“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing” is a well-known quote in sport, originating in the United States. The quote exemplifies a form of unfettered competitiveness that has permeated American sport and carried over into the general culture.

This type of attitude towards sport and winning somewhat contradicts the Olympic creed, expressed by its founder Pierre de Coubertin, “The most important thing… is not winning but taking part.”

Many including, Vince Lombardi the famous American Football coach has made reference to the “Winning isn’t everything; it is the only thing” quote and Lombardi later admitted that what he was attempting to say was “Winning is not everything - but making the effort to win is."

Whatever we think about both of these references to winning it is certainly a fundamental part of professional sport, but the question on some minds might be:

How do we go about creating a winning culture in a country which is very much grounded in the school of Pierre de Coubertin?

A seamless transition - trust your gut!

2007-05-08T12:07:00.000+01:00

This is the time of year when many professional sportspeople announce their retirement from playing/competing. The end of the season is a natural cut off point for many whilst for others the catalyst may be a major championship.

This week's Paralympian World Cup sees one of the great paralympians, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, call time on her sporting career. Whilst she admits to being sick before every race she knew when seeking out a drain at the World Championships in Holland last year that it was time to move on. As she says, "The feeling had been creeping up all year.....but it took hold of me. I thought, no, this is not for me any more"

For many the body is a great indicator as past injuries become more difficult to shrug off whilst for others it is the fact that priorities change . It is the latter that seems to have been at the root of Tanni's decision. She realised that she no longer wanted to be away from her 5year old daughter and husband. In other words, her motivation to be with her family outweighed her motivation to continue racing, ie the scales had tipped.

Tanni however is using her passions to move into the next phase of her career and life. She is keen to play a continued role in sport, whether it be with UK Athletics or the 2012 Olympics. Additionally, she has joined a company which makes clothes for disabled people in order to greatly improve the style of designs for 'kids in chairs'. As she puts it, "The girls' range is really sparkly, so it's just another part of my new life".

All in all, a seamless transition!

Young Blood

2007-05-07T23:51:00.000+01:00

Whilst watching the introduction of the new sport programme 'Inside Sport' with Gabby Yorath I was very interested to hear that they were going to do a piece on Andy Murray.

Even though it was way past my bed time I wanted to stay up and watch this. I was intrigued to see what would be revealed, if anything, about Andy's rise up the ATP rankings and his subsequent entry into the Top Ten this year.

The interview took place at the LTA's new headquarters in Roehampton and also contained short snippets of Andy's new training regime under Brad Gilbert. It wasn't an enormously in depth interview, but it was nice to see that he seemed more relaxed in front of the camera and seemed inwardly confident about his tennis and how he saw his future. What was certainly apparent was the concept of 'Team Murray' which included not only his trainer, Brad Gilbert but presumably his mother and brother, Jamie and many others.

What I thought was very refreshing was that when Gabby asked him when did he expect to win a Grand Slam Murray said that he did not want to predict that. He was happy for people to know what his goals were for raising his rankings, but he did not want to say that he would win a Grand Slam by 'x' date. Good for him I say, it is great to share certain goals and aspirations with people, but it is also good to keep some of them (often the best and most personal)to yourself! Intrinsic motivation is often the most powerful and effective.

Andy Murray is definitely one to watch as British Tennis moves into a new phase, bringing with it new blood and a new £40m headquarters. It will be very interesting to see how Murray's career and British Tennis develops over the next few years.

'till next time

Trisha

Going, going, gone!

2007-05-01T15:46:00.001+01:00

Within the last couple of weeks there have been several announcements in the rugby world from players who are either retiring from the game, wholly or in part, or who have decided to play on.

Unfortunatley the game has been robbed of several players through health and wellbeing threatening injuries, namely World Cup winner Steve Thompson and David Quinlan both of Northampton Saints. However, Thompson is refusing to let his enforced retirement get him down "I can't play rugby but I've got my health, so I'm quite happy with that". Whilst he knows that he would like to move into coaching, thereby staying in an arena with which he is very well acquainted, he does face an additional challenge with which he is less familiar. By his own admission, having already put on several stones, he needs to ensure that his weight doesn't balloon to unhealthy proportions.

Others who have greater choice have taken slightly different paths. Sean Long has chosen to make a partial retirement from rugby league by announcing his ending of his GB career whilst continuing to play in the Super League with St Helens. This should ease his transition when he finally decides to hang up his boots. This compares with the ex England rugby union captain, Lawrence Dallaglio, who will be 35 in August. He has decided to play on despite no longer being an automatic first choice at Wasps and raising doubts a month or so back about his continued desire to play.

It goes to show that decisions about 'retirement', when players have a choice, are very individual and not everybody chooses the same path.

What are you doing today to contribute to your future success?

2007-05-01T13:22:00.000+01:00

Still reflecting on Tanni Grey-Thompson's book "Aim High" I cannot agree more with Tanni's observation about young people wanting to achieve success in any area, not just sport, almost instantly and with almost with no experience(usually by way of somereality TV programme).

I truly believe that what we do in our lives from the get go is the major factor in effecting what we 'get' in our lives. I am not sure if it is the fast food culture which has led to the idea, or belief that we can achieve our dream jobs, careers or lives by just thinking that it is going to happen quite easily and quickly, but some, and I stress some, young people think that they can be pop stars, footballers, models and such like by just standing in a queue (a very long one, mind) and getting on a TV programme and letting the media do the rest.

Tanni and other Olympic Champions like Kelly Holmes demonstrate to me quite clearly that it takes hard work, dedication and total belief in yourself to become incredibly successful and reach the top in your field.

With the launch of the new Believe to Achieve programme led by Dame Kelly Holmes last week I really do hope that they are able to drill home the fact that it takes more than just standing in a queue to realise your dreams.

Preparation and support are the key to success

2007-04-24T08:31:00.000+01:00

I have just finished reading Tanni Grey Thompson's book "Aim High". Although this particular book is short, it is a valuable quick read.

One of the key premises throughout the book is that Tanni attributes her success to using her motto of aiming high, preparation (hard work to the mere mortal) and the support of her family.

I certainly don't think that any aspiring athlete can go far wrong by taking this very simple approach. No matter what career you embark on it is important to set your sights high so that you challenge and motivate yourself.

No successful person has achieved their success without a great deal of preparation and support (If you do find one please e-mail me at trisha@awinninglife.co.uk). We call this stage 'laying the foundations'. This means doing the things that have to be done to ensure that you can take the next step confidently and therefore successfully.

It is also important to maximise the time that you spend working towards your goal as time is in limited supply. This means working hard as well as working smart.

Tanni Grey Thompson is a fantastic example of this and her achievements in sport are absolute proof that this works.

Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton and Monty Panesar are showing that they are already collecting many an accolade and seemingly following a similar success strategy.

I guess only time will tell to see how effective it is. I don't know about you, but so far so good I am impressed!

New Kid on the Block

2007-04-16T23:52:00.000+01:00

Lewis Hamilton is already in the record books as the first Formula 1 driver to make the podium in his first 3 grand prix races - Congratulations!

Just before his race in Bahrain he said the following:-

" so far I haven't made a mistake... but we all make mistakes. It is inevitable when you are pushing the car to the limit that you are going to make errors and it will happen at some point. I don't know when but I'll try to deal with it the best way i can when it does happen."

Wise words from one so young and so early in what seems to be a promising career.

One of the most important things in laying the foundations for a successful career in competitive sport is identifying the key factors in your goal achievement. Hamilton has certainly established one of his key factors as recognising that mistakes are inevitable and the best form of defence is by dealing with those mistakes head on. To ignore the fact that you are fallible can be a
dangerous game.

"Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralising."
Harriet Braiker

The Face of a Sporting Hero (or heroine!)

2007-04-11T00:35:00.000+01:00

Matthew Syed in a recent article in the Times Newspaper stated that Andrew Flintoff is “an inspiration precisely because he messed up”. He comments that Flintoff is a true role model as apposed to someone like Tiger Woods who he refers to in the same article as a rather soulless character. This is of course his opinion and one that you may or may not agree on.

What, or who is a hero?

I shall suggest a definition. A hero is someone who inspires, sets a good example perhaps, and exhibits excellence in his, or her field. A hero is someone who people, young or old, look up to and may aspire to be like.

A sports hero can be a great motivator for someone starting out in sport. For example there are great aspects of Tiger Woods’ character which are to be admired such as his dedication to his sport, his commitment to excellence, his consistency, his genius on the golf course and his obvious love of the game. On the other side of the coin you have someone like Andrew Flintoff who is definitely more gregarious and openly passionate about his sport and that is to be admired, but in my view no less so than someone like Tiger Woods.

Heroes are important to us all and when chosen appropriately they can serve us well. They can inspire, motivate, guide and encourage you to excel in your chosen field. In choosing a hero we can choose to look up to the parts of their persona that we like and that inspire us rather than having to take on board the whole persona. Choosing a hero carefully is an excellent way to maximise the effectiveness of using any hero.

Heroes, or some would say role models can come in all shapes and sizes, we choose who we want to look up and who we see as inspirational.

Who are your heroes, and what have they done for you lately?

Retiring on your terms

2007-04-09T15:06:00.000+01:00

The process of retiring is challenging for everyone but none moreso than for professional sportspeople who typically end their sporting careers at a much earlier biological and chronological age.

However this brings with it potentially huge advantages. If the decision is taken voluntarily and it is carefully planned there is a much greater opportunity for a seamless transition into the next phase of that sportsperson's life.

Contrast this situation with either somebody whose career is ended prematurely, through injury or non selection, or where people postpone their decision and compete well beyond their best because they seem unable to let go. At either end of the spectrum, negative feelings of anger, anxiety and fear are likely to be much more prevalent.

It is refreshing therefore to hear that Jason Robinson has chosen to end his playing days voluntarily, possibly assisted by delays in discussing a new contract. As he says "There is actually a life away from rugby. My family are the main things. I cannot see for one minute me looking back and wishing I'd played another year".

Jason Robinson is an example of somebody who views retirement from competitive sport as an opportunity rather than a threat and, as a result, should make the adjustment both more seamlessly and successfully.

Master Dawson

2006-10-02T18:40:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Matt Dawson for his stunning win of celebrity Master Chef!

Who would have thought that he had it in him! I am no food critic, but I love my food and what he cooked on the show looked absolutely fantastic,I would certainly have eaten it.

It was quite interesting how Matt referred to his training as a rugby player during the programme and how it has enabled him to be disciplined in his approach to the challenge of Master Chef. A lesson to be learned there I think. There are many transferable skills that a professional athlete may possess and a strong sense and application of discipline is certainly one of them. This skill proved useful not only for Matt in the sporting arena but also, of all places, in the kitchen!

It just goes to show you that we all have skills that can be effective elsewhere and there are no exceptions.

TLW

"Leaving the real you at home"

2006-09-01T15:50:00.000+01:00

Roy Keane admitted recently that, when playing, his 'hard-man image was just an act'. He used it as a means of intimidating both his team mates as well as his opponents.
What issues does this give rise to in coming to terms with the 'real you' when sportspeople retire from active sport and seek to make a transition to the next stage of their life? In the words of Paul Gascoigne " I was living a plonky life, being a plonky person, being Gazza instead of being Paul Gascoigne".

On the same theme, Matthew Syed of the Times wrote the following, when at The Masters tennis tournament in London, December 2004 "Wilander and Mikael Pernfors were most at home with their post-tennis identities for the good reason that they never surrendered their pre-tennis identities. With Scandinavian common sense, they partook of the fame without ever believing in it"

Me! Me! Me! to You! You! You!

2006-08-31T17:45:00.000+01:00

Following Roy Keane's recent appointment as Manager of Sunderland FC, Sue Mott in the Telegraph raised the interesting issue of whether world class players can successfully make the transition into world class managers.
She quotes Arsene Wenger who says that a footballer thinks Me! Me! Me! whilst a manager has to think You! You! You! Do players have the transferable skills required to become managers? Are they skills that can be acquired or are they intuitive? What selection procedures do Chairmen and boards undertake when considering the appointment of a new manager?

2006-08-15T09:55:00.000+01:00

"The heart and Soul of an athlete!

What do you think about Darren Campbell's action at the EuropeanAthletics' Championships in Gothenburg when he declined to do a lap of honour and clearly looked very unhappy on the rostrum? What was his motivation, since he had the ability to choose whether or not to run in the 4x100m relay? How was he honouring his core values by his actions, especially when his coach, Linford Christie, has also been banned for testing positive in a drugs test, as has Dwain Chambers?

We'd love to hear your views.

Sporting Soul"

Welcome!

2006-08-13T19:51:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Sporting Soul!

This blog aims to explore and share with readers the (slightly!) deeper side of British and International sports peoples' careers.

Enjoy!