The tough get going
Schumi
Being a sportsperson is no ordinary deal - probably one of the hardest ‘jobs’ in the world. In every sport, we have that one iconic figure, who rules the roost for an extended period of time by exhibiting a supernatural level of athleticism combined with mental strength like no other. But they are humans too, and failure is an inevitable hurdle.
Take for example Roger Federer, the only tennis player to have completed 300 weeks at No 1 spot. He last won a tournament in August 2012 and since then, has lost eight tournaments he has played in, subsequently losing his top ranking. Or the one mighty Australian team, who have lost the first three matches in a test series, something that hasn’t happened since 1988-89 against West Indies. So when they start to fail, and fail too often, what really goes into these icons’ minds? How do these men cope with it?
Says psychologist Dr Ganesh, who was the Indian cricket team’s psychologist in 2000-01, “For any top sportsman, when there is a loss of form, there is a tendency for it to spiral down faster than it normally takes for an average person. This is because of the intense pressure he is put under to perform by his fans, the media and often, his own self. The logic is simple – the higher you go, the harder you fall. Every time they step onto the field, negative thoughts and doubts get the better of them.â€
Form apart, there is also the factor of ageing, like in the case of Michael Schumacher, who made a promising comeback in 2010 season but could not match up to the speed of the youngsters in the circuit and eventually discontinued after the 2012 season. Says Ramanathan Krishnan, India’s leading tennis player in the 1960s and former world No. 3, “There will come a time in every top sportsman’s career when he can clearly feel his reflexes slowing down. He will start to feel it even before it is evident in his game. When such is the case, there are two options before him – either accept his aging and gracefully bow out, or prepare to work harder for more glory but risk ruining his reputation and legacy. It all boils down to choice and the kind of person he is.â€
While calling it a day might be an easy way out when the pressure is on a sportsman, there are those with a strong mentality like Indian captain M.S. Dhoni, who rise like a phoenix just when all the odds are stacked against them. Asserts Dr Ganesh, “For some, like Dhoni whose back was against the wall after back-to-back defeats to England and Australia, pressure and failure brings out the best in him. While it is natural to feel that sports is all about the highest level of athleticism, that can never be true because a strong mental make-up and a steely resolve is what truly sets champions apart from the rest of the pack.â€
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