‘Talking Tactically’

with Lachlan Tighe..... 

(a weekly edition, commenced 12/9/2001, of thoughts, observations and commentaries on developments for bowls coaching and competition)

‘…in a different league, yet, still no guarantees'

(edition 94  - 2004 of thoughts & observations on lawn bowls)

I referred to televised singing competition ‘The American Idol’ last week where one judge said of two contestants that they were in a different league (to the other three finalists in this national competition). Fantasia and La Toya were simply head and shoulders superior to the others and it showed.

Well, like our sporting events, you can have a bad day, guess what, you don’t get a place in the next round of competition   So it happens that, in the view of the public as judges, the best singer fell out of the race.

We see that all the time in sport; Lonhro as great a horse as he is not being able to win as red hot favourite in his last race.  Steve Glasson, Australia’s best lawn bowler for years, yet to scale the heights on the international stage.

So what is it that prevents this ultimate success – if the competitors knew the formula they would buy it off the shelf there and then.

With our bowls fraternity, I think to some degree it is an inability to look to other sports to see the example of success, to go out of the way to investigate the source of success.  To leave no stone unturned to gain that reward.

Our best players do what they always do to prepare for events and that is why internationally they cannot be guaranteed anything will change.

One of the women who played in the recent Moama National Super League has joined ‘Elbows’ and after discussing her approach, goals, videoing her technical action, assisting her in an analysis of that technical strengths and deficiencies and she has 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.

As the ‘Elbows’ squad coach I will now have the other eleven squad members assist this player in reaching her goals by being amongst peers with a kindred spirit of commitment.

So this player has found her different league which is her mental attitude, yet still no guarantees are made.  Who then is the winner already !

Lachlan Tighe