Harden up, mate!

Having chatted at length to Jonathan Trott during the 3rd cricket test recently it was massively interesting to hear his thoughts on professional sport and how he himself prepares. Having known him at school, it was fascinating to see how he'd matured into a professional sportsman that seems very comfortable with himself and within the cauldron of professional sport. This, I believe, is one of the biggest challenges for aspiring sportsmen. Can they be comfortable with who they are, and take criticism in their stride?

So many young men and women possess talent, will and perseverance, but yet not all of them make it to the big time. Having chatted to Jonathan, it is clear that the trait of resilience, as well as an ability to take criticism well is one of the key elements to success. When I speak of resilience, I mean the ability to bounce back from countless disappointments, and still not lose enthusiasm and confidence. The discipline of batting in cricket is one of the biggest tests of character in that you are more likely to fail than succeed in an innings, according to statistics. This is a hard pill to swallow! Yet so many people continue to try to carve a living out of a game with such uncertainty. With this then comes the impending criticism and doubt both from within about whether you are good enough etc. Many sportsmen will cave in at the thought of another poor game, or will start to play with a fear for their spot, or even lose their motivation when things start to go against them. This is where I believe a relaxed and measured attitude to sport is necessary in professional environment, where players can stay as much in the present as possible and not reflect too much on the negatives.

This is really something that players need to work on, whether it be on their own, or through the help of trusted coaches and mentors, but the ability to shrug off criticism and failure and stay as much in the present as possible is what will often be the difference between true success and an average sportsman. Phil Mickelson took 10 odd years to win a major, Matt Hayden took 7 years to regain his test spot, and Bob Skinstad managed to win back a World cup spot after many years in the wilderness. There are no doubt many more, as well, but resilience is no doubt the key!