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| Sourav Ganguly has been bowled over by Sandy
Gordon | Calcutta: With Greg
Chappell and Dennis Lillee among the speakers at the recent MRF Pace Foundation
coaches’ seminar, in Chennai, only an outstanding presentation would have made
the invitees really ‘notice’ Sandy Gordon. As it
turned out, the most-in-demand sports psychologist did enough to ensure his legendary
compatriots didn’t monopolise the limelight. Indeed,
if implemented, the Perth-based Gordon’s presentation — a copy of which is with
The Telegraph — should lay the foundations of an appreciable change in
the coaches’ approach towards such an important aspect: Mental toughness. Gordon,
it may be recalled, interacted with Team India on the eve of our 2003 World Cup
campaign, in Paarl. In fact, it was at his suggestion that Sourav Ganguly and
Co. authored a theme — Now or Never — for the tournament. That
interaction — both collective and one-to-one — was so “fruitful” that coach John
Wright has initiated a move for Gordon’s ‘services’ during Team India’s tour of
Australia later this year. Sourav, of course, is
just as keen. Gordon, by the way, was contracted
to Cricket Australia (then the Australian Cricket Board) during India’s last trip
Down Under — in 1999-2000. Incidentally, during
his presentation (where he called for setting team and individual goals) in Chennai,
Gordon listed what goes into a team performing at its peak. He focussed on the
individual as well. Here goes: (a)
For teams: Patience (accepting results), pressure (batting, bowling and fielding),
partnerships (batting and bowling), present focus (ball-to-ball) and positive
mental momentum. If you’re sincerely committed to executing a team game plan,
you will be in control. (b) For individuals:
Trust (back yourself and enjoy), take positive risks (be definite and play to
win), task awareness (constantly ask yourself what you have to do) and present
focus (totally absorb self in the moment and task at hand).A winning formula,
if ever there was one.
THE
SANDY GORDON DOCTRINE
DEFINITION of MENTAL
TOUGHNESS - Having the natural or developed
psychological edge that enables you to: Generally,
cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training,
lifestyle) that sport places on a performer. Specifically,
be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focussed,
confident and in control under pressure. ATTRIBUTES
of MENTAL TOUGHNESS - Self-belief to achieve
competition goals - Unique qualities that make
you better than the rest - Insatiable desire to
succeed - Bouncing back from setbacks -
Thriving on pressure - Accepting anxiety as inevitable -Not
getting affected by the performance of others -
Remaining focussed despite personal issues - Switching
on/off as required - Remaining focussed despite
competition issues - Pushing physical/emotional
pain boundaries while maintaining technique/effort -
Regaining psychological control following unexpected/uncontrollable events MENTAL
SKILLS - Goal setting and self-regulation skills -
Concentration and attention skills - Anxiety or
arousal skills - Visualisation, imagery, mental
rehearsal - Confidence, self-efficacy skills -
Ideal Performance State — pre, during and post competition activities TEACHING
MENTAL SKILLS -Coach best person to teach -
Integrated within coaching plans - Developmental
approach: Simple/complex - Objective to make athletes
self-sufficient - Individualised programmes as
early as possible - Problems with adherence to
be expected - Coach as model of skills being taught GOAL
SETTING - If you don’t know where you are going,
you’ll probably end up somewhere else - If you
want something to happen, then measure it CONCENTRATION -
Is the ability to pay attention to the right things at the right time -
Is about sport intelligence and concerns: Selective attention, critical cues at
critical moments, present focus, switching channels of concentration and anticipating
distraction HANDLING PRESSURE -
Mentally tough players are able to manage both physical and emotional arousal
levels under adversity/pressure - How you think,
is how you feel. That’s how you act/behave FINALLY… -
All cricketers imagine — some more productively than the others -You
can be good without working hard, but to be great, you must work hard… | 
