Thinking Positively in Sports

Recently, I was playing a 4-a-side futsal game. The game began at high velocity and not before long, my team found itself four goals down. After a small pep talk, revision of strategy and change of formation, we resumed the game. We began a spirited fight back. We scored one, two and then another two quickfire goals and the game was level. There was no looking back from here on out. We went on the win the game 10-6.

The incident got me thinking about failure. In the world of sport, the game is never really over until it’s really over, i.e. until the final whistle has blown. The history of football boasts of some stunning comebacks. Teams that had been written off as sure losers stunned everybody by reversing the result. A similar outcome resulted in our game too. It seemed like we were being dominated but the final score told a different tale.

Perspective and attitude are key elements in sport. The manner with which you approach the game and the situations arising during the game, plays a huge role in determining the way you play. If you enter the game with a defeatist attitude, you are likely to be thrashed. On the other hand, being overconfident too, can spell disaster. An optimistic

and positive attitude is the best suiting.

An optimistic, positive attitude creates a favourable approach to the game. It helps build confidence and boost morale, but can slide into overconfidence if not checked. Such an attitude must not only precede the game but must also endure for the duration of the game. If one is facing a tough opponent, ones pre-match attitude may be positive or negative and this will inevitable have a bearing on the outcome. If the attitude is negative, then one is headed for defeat, but if it is positive, then the first hurdle has been crossed. In order to compete successfully, one must keep that attitude throughout, irrespective of what the scoreboard says.

Competing successfully doesn’t mean always winning. Rather it means playing the game to the final whistle without giving up. A negative shift in attitude during the game indicates loss even before it actually happens. No matter how big the deficit, a positive attitude will help one respond optimally while a negative attitude will dampen any hope of revival.

That game of futsal taught me some valuable lessons in sportsmanship. In the world of sport, its not always the best who win, neither does the one who is driven by optimism and positivity, but the latters chances of winning are high. Despite facing tough opponents and difficult situations, he/she is able to effectively handle the pressure and deliver the goods, even though they might not always achieve a winning result.