The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as Tottenham Hotspur fitness coach Marcos Alvarez reveals that his players were 100kg overweight when Juande Ramos took over in October.
Football: Tottenham Hotspur - Fat!
"Taking into account the players' size, the team was basically 100kg over. We realised straight away that the team was carrying excess baggage. They have now lost between 40 and 50kg. Getting the rest off is the most difficult part." The words of fitness coach Marco Alvarez.
Alvarez's revelations are interesting. Why were the players allowed to carry some much excess weight? Previous manager Martin Jol clearly had a different focus. Jol a warm, family man wanted to create a warm, family team atmosphere. An emphasis on inclusivity. Team-spirit. Togetherness. And Jol himself of course, was a big man.
His focus and style however could only take Tottenham so far. In examining dietary habits and thus fitness, Ramos and his team are showing the calibre of leadership, essential for a team like Tottenham to break into the top four. Leadership that pays attention to detail. That leaves nothing to chance. Do wine gums and jelly babies, HP sauce and chocolates improve our players fitness levels? If not, then they are banned.
It's not complicated. It about the quality of leadership focus. Behaviours, habits and patterns, attitudes, either serve the God Of Winning. Or they don't. The art is in being able to pay attention. Notice these critical details. Then act to change them when they need changing. It's a leadership presence of mind, the serves to keep the players on their toes.
Remember - Everything that happens off the field, builds the behaviours and attitudes that impact directly on performance. And success.
