Moments in time
How many moments in a day, in a week, in a month, in a year
do you get to have some ‘me’ time…some ‘quiet’ time….some ‘quality’ time…some
‘thinking’ time? The answer for me is rare and I am entirely to blame for that.
I live a fairly fast life which I enjoy, we all know sleep is overrated, and I
like productivity. That said, finding the time to read a book, or to write a
blog, is essential. I have failed on both those counts recently, but finding
the time on a long flight to North America with no calls, no internet, no
sport, no nothing to distract me, is an opportunity for me. Blogger Bobby is
back!
A smile a day….
I checked in prior to my flight this morning and was greeted
at the counter by an old jolly Scottish gentlemen who was insanely pleasant.
Now I am not suggesting I want to start every morning at 6am with a Scottish
chap putting a smile on my face, but if you encounter somebody with such a
positivity radiating from them early in the morn, it can surely only lead to a good
day.
Spain v Germany
Is it just me or do virtually all major football matches
these days seem to be Spain v Germany? I cannot wait for the Champions League
semi-finals though I hope the two Spanish teams are kept apart, and the two
German teams, just to see some different match-ups. That said, I will never
tire of these recent Real Madrid v Barca games. I cannot decide whether my
favourite is Real Madrid or Bayern. I sense Dortmund just lack a fraction in
this company, and I sense that Barca are struggling physically more now than I
can recall in the last few years. Real are peaking, Bayern are fresh. Their tie
last year was close, Bayern edged the penalties, but I felt Real were ever so
marginally the better team. I think both teams have improved this season once
again, and if I have to choose, I’ll just edge Real, but it is 51/49 between
them two for me.
Bloody Hockey
I am not sure how I feel about this rule in Hockey. If a
high stick hits an opponent, you receive a two minute penalty. If there is blood
drawn, then it is doubled to a four minute penalty for the aggressor. I watched
a game this week where a ‘high-sticking’ offence occurred and the player on the
receiving end was desperately checking his mouth aggressively trying to find
some blood from somewhere. Now I am not suggesting he was trying to cheat (just
insinuating!), but there seems to be that little space for a bit of creative
‘rubbing’ shall we say.
Stressed
Turns out I have a stress fracture in my foot after visiting
the docs this week. I have had a pain in my left foot for the best part of a
month. I’ve tried rest, I’ve tried running through it, but something was not
quite right. Evidently that was the case. The Swiss medical system is
fascinating. Legally, you must have health insurance – there are various
options in terms of the premium you pay. I pay the lowest amount per month but
I have to pay the first 2000 CHF of any medical bills I incur over the year. I
figure unless I need something drastic like a brain transplant, I may as well
go down that route. This trip to the doctors was lengthy due to the check, the
x-ray, the diagnosis. The itemised bills show that you are charged for every
five minutes of the doctor’s time that you take. Picture me checking my watch
frantically counting the five minute segments.
Future of Sports Performance & Life
The more I work in performance analysis and the more I live,
the more I believe that the psychology of sport, of performance, of so many of
the things we do in life are affected by our psychological make-up. That may
sound so obvious, that may sound random, I am not really sure. What I do know
is that for all the statistics of passes, possession, tackles and shots that
you may have on a player on any sport, one of the most important (largely) unquantifiable
elements is the psychological part of the game. Think of some of your favourite
players and think about their psychological characteristics – their drive,
their determination, their passion, their will to win, their tantrums when they
lose, their unflappable nature. Whether is good trait or a bad one, recognising
and harnessing it as a player or a coach is key to high performance in the
early stages of their careers, during and after. There are some pioneers in
sport who have focused on this in recent years, but it is still one element
that is not paid enough attention to. I think it is the same in our everyday
lives, and one we do not really pay as much attention to as we should. If I
ever decide to return to a classroom….and I swore I was finished with formal
education a few years back….it will be in this area.
Amir Khan
There was a documentary last night on boxer Amir Khan and I
can’t help but like and respect him. He is one of my two favourite British
fighters right now along with Carl Froch – two fighters who have faced the best
possible quality of opponents they could have in the last few years, and have
not shirked any challenges. Their fights are tough, they take chances, they are
exciting to watch. Khan v Diaz this later this month will be a good fight, and
Froch v Kessler in May will be immense. If you’re going to watch a fight this
year, watch one of those, particularly the Froch one and you won’t be
disappointed. And if you are, you’re ticked off my list for the next trip to Vegas.
