The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
Question: Why do athletes need to experience gamesmanship?
Evan: Well, gamesmanship tactics teach you that if you don’t stay in your performance side of your brain, you’ll get sucked into your opponent’s drama. Not all gamesmanship is cheating. Legal gamesmanship is part of the art of winning.
Jarrod: OMG, I get cheated almost every tournament. I get to the point where I don’t care about the game… I just want to punch’em in the face! Remember that time I got into it with Lorenzo?
Question: How do you spot an athlete struggling with adversity?
Evan: Well, I look for nonverbal communication… You know, body language and facial expressions. A dominating opponent with positive body language is inflating their energy and systematically deflating yours. In competition, I work hard on presenting myself as the alpha male.
Jarrod: Dude, he asked about spotting emotionally weak opponents… Geez! I’m good at spotting those meek kids. I’m the intimidator, not the intimidated! Often against emotionally weaker guys, the outcome is decided before the game even starts. I love it when the other dude has slumped shoulders, looks down, talking to the floor, as we prepare for the match. You can see and feel their look of surrender a mile away.
Question: Why is emotional aptitude important in high-performance sports?
Evan: Your opponent isn’t always just the other competitors. It’s between the ears. It’s battling your own demons. Sometimes half of me is saying “Keep Fighting” but the other half is saying “Forget it… They’re too good.”
Jarrod: My old coach taught me that if your fundamentals are better and if you’re the stronger athlete… You’ll win. I used to believe him but now… I’m not so sure. Does needing emotional training from a coach means I’m weak?
