The Canadian curling world has been abuzz (there's a word I'm using for the first time) of late over the expulsion of a player in a provincial play down game (I know the player well). I've been inundated by questions re. the appropriateness of the decision by the official to take such an action. There were very few who questioned the inappropriateness of the action by the athlete which caused the situation. But what disturbed me more was the photograph of a teammate apparently appealing to an official (not sure if it was the official who made the decision to act upon the athlete's actions). In all of this, I feel there are important lessons.
At the time of writing, the exact action that resulted in the suspension of the athlete for the remainder of the game, was somewhat unclear but it was clear that it was not a solitary act that caused the suspension. From reports both heard & read, the athlete used inappropriate language and exhibited inappropriate behaviour, each with a warning from officials. The team played the remainder of the game, which it won, with the remaining three players. The stone kicking was not the "sole" reason the athlete was suspended.
Officials are people like athletes. They have a job to do and do it to the best of their abilities, just like athletes. In our sport, officials are there, not so much to enforce rules, the players can do that themselves. Their primary responsibility is to assist the players in fairly applying the rules. If a rule infraction occurs, and the teams work it out themselves, even if the applicable rule is not applied according to the rule book, play continues. Everyone is satisfied! It's one of the aspects that sets curling apart!
But even with all I've just said, from a coaching perspective, I'd be somewhat miffed that a member of the team I coach, acted in an inappropriate manner. It reflects on teammates and coach. That's why the wearing apparel is called a "uniform" and why if an athlete is found to have ingested a performance enhancing substance, it affects the entire team. But, the person affected most, even though the athlete may not realize it, is the person who stares back from the mirror because much inappropriate behaviour stems from the fact that the athlete is not accountable. Champions are accountable.
The example I use is John McEnroe. Many in the tennis world regard John as perhaps the most gifted player in their sport but few if any regard him as the best tennis player of all time. Why, because his short-comings were always someone else's fault (ball boy/girl, umpire, locker room attendant etc.). John very seldom looked inward.
Inappropriate behaviour is frequently rationalized by enablers as "passion". Don't be deceived, truly passionate persons don't behave badly!
The worst part about inappropriate behaviour is what it does to your team and for your opposition. It should be embarrassing to your teammates and coach. And they should support you but do so honestly and the truth is that you need to cease and desist from that behaviour becomes it's making the team's task more difficult because it's providing incentive for your opposition. They don't need any extra incentive especially when it comes from YOU!
I've heard more than one sports psychologist caution that the muscles your choose to activate are the muscles that inevitably control your actions. In other words, "Look upset and you'll play upset". To illustrate this point in clinics and camps, I get the athletes to stand, smile, start bouncing on both feet and wave their arms in the air. When they've done that for several seconds, I ask them to continue and feel "sad" at the same. It's just about impossible! But had I asked them to sit down, close their eyes, cross their arms and relax and feel sad, there would have been no problem.
There is value in "keeping it inside" despite what you might hear from someone who says, "Let it out then move on!" Well, good luck with that!
Athletes who act inappropriately don't fool anyone. Their reputation is like a 10' neon sign for all to see. For the athlete, it will make it difficult to find a place on truly elite teams. Better that athlete should take up golf, tennis or some other "individual" sport. Curling is not for them!
Hi Bill, .... one thing we can't lose is the perspective of the game being just that, a game. It will not over-though a government, it will not start a world war, ... nor will it control our will to be ourselves. At the end of the day, it there there for entertainment purposes, ... whether it be for ourselves or for spectators.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing more boring (as a spectator) than watching a competitor go through mechanical motions with not so much as a twinkle in their eye. I would have much rather watched John McInroe berate an official for missing a call (which they did on more than one occasion)than to watch Ivan Lenl play volly-from-the-baseline for 4 hours. I would much rather watch Dennis Rodman (tattoos and all) get in the face of Danny Ainge than watch Scottie Pippen dish off to Michael Jordan for a career. I would much rather watch Terrell Owens (early in his career) pose the ball on the Dallas Cowboys center field logo than watch Troy Aikman dump off to a tight end for 20 passes. I would rather watch Pete Rose bowl over any catcher at any time (even in an All Star Game) than watch someone with the physique of Babe Ruth try to steal second base (thus ended the 1926 World Series).
I could find an example in virtually every sport, but I think you get my drift. Not being and reacting like yourself in any situation is misrepresenting why we are who we are. We are not robots, .... we talk, walk, move, and react with emotion. In the end, I would much rather be remembered for who I am rather than what someone else wanted me to be.
An official should never become bigger than the game. There are many things (without knowing the actual details) that could have been done that wouldn't have resulted in the player being tossed from the game that would have "salvaged" the damaged integrity of the official and the game.
You, more than most people, would appreciate the countless hours an athlete puts into preparing for big events. To rip those hours out of a persons life (of both the athlete and their teammates) in the name of an official looking for their 15 minutes of fame is far to harsh.
It would have taken nothing away from the game to pause for 5 minutes and take those involved aside to settle things down and continue with the game. His actions did nothing to prevent the oppostion from winning the game, it simply ruffled the feathers of those who are there to suppor the game, ... not there to be bigger than the game.
Nobody said it better than Bill "Spaceman" Lee of the Montreal Expos. During a press interview after an Expos loss, he was asked to comment of the way the game ended. This is what he had to say, ..... "I believe in the frozen snowball theory. What is that you say, ..... well, in tens of millions of years our sun will finally put out its last ray of sunshine and burn out into a lifeless white dwarf star. Without sunshine, all life on earth will quickly die. The water on the earth will freeze solid, and the earth will become a frozen snowball hurtling through space. So, I tell you now, when this happens, no one will be around to remember that I walked in the winning run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning."
Such was the wisdom of Bill Lee.
I guess I should do a better job of proof-reading, .... sorry for the odd spelling and grammatical mistakes.
ReplyDeleteSorry, here is the original post with some well needed proofing.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill, .... one thing we can't lose is the perspective of the game being just that, a game. It will not over-throw a government, it will not start a world war, ... nor will it control our will to be ourselves. At the end of the day, it is there for entertainment purposes, ... whether it be for ourselves or for spectators.
There is nothing more boring (as a spectator) than watching a competitor go through mechanical motions with not so much as a twinkle in their eye. I would have much rather watched John McInroe berate an official for missing a call (which they did on more than one occasion)than to watch Ivan Lenl play volly-from-the-baseline for 4 hours. I would much rather watch Dennis Rodman (tattoos and all) get in the face of Danny Ainge than watch Scottie Pippen dish off to Michael Jordan for a career. I would much rather watch Terrell Owens (early in his career) pose the ball on the Dallas Cowboy's center field logo than watch Troy Aikman dump off to a tight end for 20 passes. I would much rather watch Pete Rose bowl over any catcher at any time (even Ray Fosse in an All Star Game) than watch someone with the physique of Babe Ruth try to steal second base (thus ended the 1926 World Series).
I could find an example in virtually every sport, but I think that you get my drift. Not being and reacting like yourself in any situation is misrepresenting why we are who we are. We are not robots, .... we talk, walk, move, and react with emotion. In the end, I would much rather be remembered for who I am, rather than what someone else wanted me to be.
An official should never become bigger than the game. There are many things (without knowing the actual details) that could have been done that wouldn't have resulted in the player being tossed from the game that would have "salvaged" the damaged integrity of the official and the game.
You, more than most people, would appreciate the countless hours an athlete puts into preparing for big events. To rip those hours out of a persons life (of both the athlete and their teammates) in the name of an official looking for their 15 minutes of fame is far to harsh.
It would have taken nothing away from the game to pause for 5 minutes and take those involved aside to settle things down and continue with the game. His actions did nothing to prevent the opposition from winning the game, it simply ruffled the feathers of those who are there to support the game, ... not there to be bigger than the game.
Nobody said it better than Bill "Spaceman" Lee of the Montreal Expos. During a press interview after an Expo's loss, he was asked to comment on the way the game ended. This is what he had to say, ..... "I believe in the frozen snowball theory. What is that you say, ..... well, in tens of millions of years our sun will finally put out its last ray of sunshine and burn out into a lifeless white dwarf star. Without sunshine, all life on earth will quickly die. The water on the earth will freeze solid, and the earth will become a frozen snowball hurtling through space. So, I tell you now, when this happens, no one will be around to remember that I walked in the winning run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning."
Such was the wisdom of Bill Lee.