Sundaymail Editor
IN sporting competitions, triumph is a combination of physical fitness and mental fortitude, and nothing else.
This makes the psychological side of sport integral for modern athletes.
Those who have a winning mentality often say “you do not win silver or bronze, but you lose gold”.
To them, anything short of winning does not cut it.
You might have seen Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — two supremely gifted sportspersons who have won almost every accolade football has to offer — openly shed tears (well, weeping in Ronaldo’s case) during the recent Copa América and the UEFA European Football Championship, respectively, out of the sheer will to win.
Despite their accomplishments, and having earned obscene fortunes in sport, they always remain motivated.
However, some jokers who manage our teams, especially in football, have this nauseating propensity to always describe their failures as “a learning curve”.
We have heard that expression one too many times.
Unless specifically described as friendly encounters, international competitions such as COSAFA are not for learning, but winning.
Spain’s national football team coach, Luis de la Fuente, who led La Roja to a record fourth European championship on July 14, recently showed us that it is possible to triumph by blending relatively inexperienced youths with veterans.
For example, Spain had in their team seasoned campaigners such as Rodri and Álvaro Morata, as well as talented young footballers such as Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, who ultimately made the difference in the final.
The team’s victory was no fluke either, as its swashbuckling performances saw it claim huge scalps such as the fancied Killian Mbappe-led French side and hosts Germany, which, by any measure, is no mean feat.
It is also not surprising that their glory was engineered by de la Fuente, a disciple of youth football development.
Over the past few months, Bra Shakes has been strenuously trying to make the case for increased focus on youth development in sport and psyching our athletes to win.
The Chevrons’ epileptic performances are a case in point.
We have seen what the team is capable of when motivated and the opposite in high-pressure games, where fielding errors like dropped catches become the order of the day.
It is unquestionable that talent abounds in Zimbabwe, but what we lack are the facilities and supportive mechanisms to condition our athletes for success.
Some people are already talking down prospects of our representatives for the Paris Olympics, which begin on Friday.
Granted, this is a global showcase that is incredibly tough, as it will be graced by the world’s best, but approaching it with a positive mind and belief helps.
Looking back, we have had larger-than-life sporting personalities before, like Peter Ndlovu and Kirsty Coventry, who blazed the trail and showed us that we, too, can be the best of the best.
Bra Shakes, therefore, wishes the talented men and women who will be part of the contingent in France all the best.
If they do not believe it is possible to win, then they have no business being at the Olympics.
It is self-doubt that often leads some sportspersons and teams to desperately and ill-advisedly resort to doping or juju to boost performances.
It is all in the mind.
Until next time.
Peace!
Yours Sincerely,
Bra Shakes.
Online Reporter