Source: www.guardian.co.tt

By Brian Lewis

Everything is a collection of smaller pieces. And the deeper you dig, the smaller the pieces get. We are all just the sum of our parts. Sport provides human drama. It makes us cheer and cry. Great teams and individuals lift our spirits. Greatness, however, is easier talked about than achieved. Great champions in sport tend to be those who do not fear losing. More often than not sporting greats—individuals and teams—that capture and hold our imagination and affection are those who focus on doing their best and playing to the very edge of their talent, skill and potential. A win is not just about how the team played on the day or how effectively the learned tactics and strategies have been applied. Winning is a process that starts with the creation of a culture. To create a culture, the first quality is the team itself and then there’s team unity; this is about the team becoming a family and it is the physical and mental pressures and growing through these pressures that really brings them together.

Thirdly, it’s about passion—because with passion comes enjoyment and then finally, discipline—this relates to having a work ethic. Creating a culture of excellence in sport is also about leadership and setting standards, as a benchmark for the future. Those standards are physical and mental; they’re not just about one thing. When standards are set and protocols put in place, the athletes, in particular, have to buy into it themselves. Leadership. How do you know it? Some will say it is defined by the willingness to take full responsibility for your thoughts, actions and the results they produce.

In the world of sport, the outcome cannot be manipulated. Many have tried and failed. There is no gray area or technicality. Sportsmanship and the integrity of sport and fair play are principles that are still very much part and parcel of sport, even though the highly competitive and high stakes nature of professional sport or sport at the elite level may display a different ethos. The concept of fair play remains very much alive. Many over the years have paid the ultimate penalty for trying to be overly clever. Negative tactics generally produce negative outcomes. Those who are placed in positions of leadership have the ultimate responsibility to rise to the occasion and practice what they preach—don’t say one thing but do something else. In this respect emotional intelligence is as important, if not more important than intellectual intelligence. To be able to do the right things everyday requires emotional intelligence. To be authentic requires emotional intelligence.

To earn a reputation as a trustworthy leader requires emotional intelligence. It is not about competence or knowledge. People will tolerate honest mistakes, but if you violate their trust you will find it near impossible to regain their confidence. People don’t follow leaders they don’t respect. They follow leadership they respect. Good leaders can see the big picture while others see the narrow view.

The essence of sport is respect for rules and laws of the game; ethics, fair play and honesty, excellence in performance, respect for self and your opponents. Sport is unforgiving, things that you get away with in everyday life, sport will expose. Invariably the results don’t lie. Many over the years have paid the harsh penalty for attempting to use sportsmanship and gamesmanship interchangeably. Sport is about competing and performing to the very best of your ability.

Brian Lewis is the Honorary Secretary General of the T&T Olympic Committee http:// www.ttoc.org. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the TTOC.

100% Belief

100% Determination

100% Dedication

100% Respect

100% Commitment

100% Knowledge

“Sport is part of every man and woman’s heritage and its absence can never be compensated for.”

—Pierre de Coubertin