The Confidence Coach's Sports Psychology Articles
On The Couch With Dr. Martin
The Confidence Coach's monthly Sports Psychology Article in 442 magazine. This article was written in advance of the 2006 World Cup, focusing on the potential of the African nations at the championship.
Out Of Africa
It was Pele who predicted that by 2010 an African side would win the World Cup. The performances of that continent's representatives in Germany will tell us how far down the road they are to fulfilling the great man's prediction.
With Ivory Coast, Togo, Angola and Ghana making their World Cup debuts this year the base has widened. As team players in the European leagues, African players are increasingly influential and successful; they have integrated their qualities into new training methods, sublimated individual talent for the benefit of the team and have offered a glimpse into the future.
Somehow the talent and experience that their best individual players have gained with European clubs must be harnessed to national needs.
Unfortunately they have become political pawns and local heroes, until they have football failures [e.g. Samual Eto'o in World Cup qualifying] when they become pariahs.
Thus, expectations vary wildly between doom and destiny; a balance must be struck, coaches need to be given time to build a sound sustainable base. It is when hysteria and hope are replaced by realism and common sense that chances of World Cup success will improve.
The best eleven of say Cameroon and Ivory Coast are as good as anyone. The best coach, say Gus Hiddink, would convince them of that and manage to channel emotions and expectations fruitfully rather than fretfully.
At present, too many of the coaches are brought in as short term fixes, bring plenty of 'personality' but little stability. Those who run the game in these countries must convince their political paymasters that short term gratification, rather than long term fulfillment is not the answer.
Also, notions of nationhood loom very large here. Such concepts are largely psychological and are complicated by the seeming need for some countries to reach their manifest destiny through football rather than social political culture change.
Plus, the imposition of certainty by politicians, for example, leading to false hope, misplaced optimism, rather than realistic expectations leads to acrimony and instability which is the last thing needed.
Then there are those who pray for miracles but the good coach would make them understand that it is not a miracle if we do well it is because we made it happen, and he will be able to explain this. This is crucial.
At the moment there seem to be too many blocking mechanisms which allow for an accretion of excuses, building barriers to eventual breakout and success.
If the success of the team is uncoupled from the success of the country then an African team will win the WC, but at the moment the burden is too heavy. There are too many heroes and villains, not enough planners and players. It could be a tool for national development but should not be a vehicle for self aggrandizement.
Yet, despite the deepening and widening of the African football culture, many disparate elements need to come together, to coalesce, before World Cup success can be realized.
Thee ingredients seem to be there but it remains to be seen whether they can be successfully mixed