Donvale Bowls Club Inc.

February 2011 column

Classic Catch Phrases - Individual bowlers

(Caught over time as the best of the best to take from India 2010 basing it all on striving for success)

Bowlers

• If you want to be an above average bowler, don't do what average bowlers do (which includes not heeding their comments)
• Most obstacles to performance appear to be emotional and mental
• Most sportsmen spend less than 5% of their training time in mental and emotional preparation
• 85% of success in sport depends on attitude rather than (technical) aptitude
• Mental skills can be learnt and best done in training especially when you are back at your club where lesser lights will test your willingness to apply them in that club environment
• Motivation comes from within yourself
• To know where you want to be (goals) you have to establish where you are (performance appraisals, skills test )
• In competition move away from game result and focus on performance or objective goals based on a process you have to achieve
• getting the best from yourself may require a behaviour change
• Not succeeding with the result or outcome creates an opportunity for behaviour change, rather than how others view it, failure or mistakes.

One of the women who played in the 2004 Moama National Super League joined 'Elbows' in 2004 and after discussing her approach, goals, videoing her technical action, assisting her in an analysis of that technical strengths and deficiencies. She then urged for a need to change to be able to go further as a player attitudinally and technically.

That's a big ask for an already established player.  However it is an indication of a commitment that is not readily sighted in other established players. This player has found her different league which is her mental attitude, yet still no guarantees are made.

Who then is the winner already! She became world champ in 2007

All bowlers were potentially capable of winning medals at the Games 2010  in India, if the current approach to elite bowls remains unchanged;  however, will these bowls squad members be like the three 'American Idol' finalists in simply there and self satisfied, or will they look to the two singers and say to themselves I want to be in a different league, that is a medallist with the willingness to develop the notion of process in all of the four skills so that they achieve the ultimate in 2010 and beyond.

Process requires planning and preparation so as to best perform successfully when it counts.

What makes the elite athlete (more) adaptable, more likely to forge ahead. I put these reasons:

• Deals with the unpredictable and takes competitive advantage of such
• Sees change as a positive challenge
• Seeks new ideas, approaches and practices to be the best, to beat the opposition
• Listens and learns
• Anticipates, acts quickly to the new approach

Andre Agassi: he was quoted as saying '...I came here, to the Grand Slam Open, with the belief I can win - my motivation is the fact that if I can play my best tennis, can I still win it and I need to be able to answer with a yes.'

So the MAN said '...any dream by definition is a long way off. You need to rewind back from the dream to now to be able to understand what it is you want to accomplish, look at yourself and honestly see where you currently are; then you have to set up a plan that keeps you focused on a million small steps that need happen that continually build that momentum for your (sporting) life - so you set your plan and work your plan.

And your plan should include a lot of little daily victories...long live dreams.'

Not all of us have the raw talent of an Agassi, but we all have the capacity to do the best with what is given to us, so if I were to hear you talk about goals, dreams, aspirations, would I be able to hear that you like Agassi's have this wonderful list of a squillion daily victories to reach your goal, or, are you another ...want to win type still not committed to planning and preparing to achieve your dream.

And you know why the Bowls dreamer should have the bowls coach along for the journey?  Because the bowls coach should also be a dreamer pursuing his/ her own goals.

If not, get a real bowls coach = to your goal and commitment.

'... Thank you Jonny Wilkinson World Rugby hero, 2003' ...much should be taken from the hours of dedication that allowed him to remain poised under enormous pressure.....his skills come with obvious talent but honed by hours of dedication at training.....it shows if you want to be the best at your sport or at one skill then you've got to commit...there will be kids out there using him as a role model buying boots and practicing their field goals, foregoing Xmas dinner so as to practice.'

'...Wilkinson stays on after team practice and finishes his own practice sessions with a series of six kicks, if one of them misses, he starts again....a series of images are created for him to practice kicking so he imagines it is a 7 iron, or aiming at a jeering mouth behind the goal.

Commitment- where you want to be and where you end up is a reflection of your degree of commitment as no one said it would be easy and there is the pressure...to make that commitment to yourself as a requirement of your level of success.

I refer to that as attitude - all about practising habits.

Lachlan Tighe, February, 2011