About the Sport Principle There are different theories about how we acquire sporting skills. Some sports, such as swimming, are known as early specialisation sports, in other words, to achieve elite-level success, the earlier a child can start, the better. Other sports, such as some combat sports, are arguably later specialisation sports, and children who […]
About the Sport Principle Success on the tennis court, in part, depends on a player’s ability to surprise his opponent, to do the unexpected. Perhaps to quickly move into the net at the end of a set dominated by baseline play. The opponent will invariably be caught out by this change of strategy because he […]
About the Sport principle Late at night, while watching the triathlon at the recent Tokyo Olympics, I was struck by the commentator stating that the 4th event in addition to the swimming, cycling and running was the transition. A good transition can be the difference between gold and silver or missing out on a medal altogether. […]
About the Sport principle I am writing this in the immediate aftermath of England’s Euro 2020 final loss to Italy on penalties! There is still a lot of excitement in the country right now, with lots being said and written about the last month. By the time you read this, nobody will care! In terms […]
About the Sport Principle Judo is all about exploiting your opponents’ ‘weak lines’. Put simply, if the objective is to topple an object or person, where there is a prop or support, there is strength, and the objective becomes very difficult to achieve. Picture a simple plastic chair, of the sort seen in a typical […]
About the Sport Principle Judo is one of the most widely practised sports in the world. Our English word, ‘Judo’ is taken from two Japanese words: ‘do’ meaning ‘way’ and ‘ju’ meaning ‘gentle’. It is literally ‘the gentle way’. Judo involves ‘moving with’ an opponent. ‘Push when pulled, and when pushed, pull’ is a mantra […]
About the Sport Principle Is there anything worse? Paying for your ticket, looking forward to the match all week, and then watching your team play out a dull 0-0 draw! Perhaps it is the end of the season, and in order to stay up, or get into the play-offs (or whatever) all your team needs […]
About the Sport Principle In a sport like hockey, both movement and direction are very important, but for us, movement is much more important. Movement and the momentum that comes with it always comes from within. External circumstances are, therefore, irrelevant. Constantly changing direction and being unpredictable is directly related to success on the hockey […]
About the Sport Principle At the London 2012 Olympics, six of Team GB’s record gold medal haul were won by less than an inch. In high-level sport, the margins for error, and, therefore, the difference between a gold and a silver, are tiny. This principle can also be seen clearly at work in sports such […]
About the Sport Principle Have you ever been frustrated at being excluded from something because you cannot access the specialist language? Olympic track cycling presents this frustration for me. Every four years, I excitedly tune in to enjoy what strikes me as a gripping event, but every time, my inability to distinguish my keirins from my […]
