There is a fantastic quote from the famous stand-up comedian Bob Newhart:
“Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.”
– Bob Newhart
How many of us do this in our chosen sport in times of adversity. Have you ever had the easiest tennis shot to win a point and had a total air swing? Have you ever had your opponent out of court and hit the ball wide? Have you ever had an open goal and kicked the ball over the cross bar? Have you ever tripped over instead of kicking the ball?
Most importantly…have you ever laughed after doing one of the above, stepped back, dealt with it and then moved on?
I have the pleasure of playing with some IFS coaches in a football competition on Friday nights. The guys are truly great people and true professionals. You would think that being experts in their field and fantastic athletes, all would come easily in the frantic pace of ‘Over 35 Soccer’. Apparently not. Several weeks ago, one of my IFS colleagues made the run of a lifetime. He burst through the middle of the park while our outside mid charged down the left sideline, ball at foot. He sped to the 18 yard box, frantically screaming out for the ball. In a split second he found himself behind the defence, scorching the turf toward the 6 yard box. The ball crossed in as his feet began to glide. Then…his momentum seemed to disappear. His legs looked like independent windmills. His shoes blended into one. His leg pulled back and, with one almighty yelp, he drove his foot through the air and missed the ball completely.
As I tell this story my eyes should fill with water and my stomach should hurt from laughter, as the sight was definitely one to behold.
However, my thoughts are filled with total admiration for our IFS guru. You see, unlike most, his reaction was a smile and some laughter. He missed what most thought was the unmissable. Yet he chose to see the funny side. As the week went on, he sent me a terrific image of a professional striker missing an even easier shot. He had moved on. He was able to do what Bob Newhart explains.
My IFS colleague played again with us on Friday night just gone and produced the game of his year. Simply magnificent. Lesser people would have still been thinking about that missed goal.
In short, laughter is missing in modern day sport. It’s so serious now. There is supposedly so much on the line. Careers at stake, finances to consider, coaches to please. What’s really at stake, is the love and enjoyment of sport. So laugh at yourself when you make an error, step back, think how to improve it and move on.
Tania Tracey says
Too true….