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Playing and training : Getting the balance right. Let me take this opportunity to briefly cover the important issues that I have to consider in the pursuit of my chosen professional sport. As a professional Squash player I am my own boss. If I don’t do my preparatory ‘homework’ for an event then I only have myself to blame when things go wrong. I get immense satisfaction if, on reflection, I know that I did do the homework and that I gave 110%. I can’t ask anymore than that - win or lose. Motivation: I MUST DO THE TRAINING OTHERWISE ‘THE REST’ HAVE A CHANCE TO GET ‘ONE-UP’ ON ME. IF I DO THIS THEN I’LL BUY MYSELF A CD. I WANT TO BE WORLD TOP 10. I WANT TO BE WORLD TOP 5. I WANT TO BE NUMBER ONE. Whether it is a realistic goal that is being striven for, or the proverbial carrot dangling on the end of a stick, there has to be a reason for it all. These reasons will almost certainly change with time but inspired by my motivation I have the discipline to do the training and put in the hours of practice necessary to be ready for the tournaments. As I lie in bed in the morning staring at the ceiling a little voice inside me is telling me to go back to sleep and have just another quick 30 minute kip. I can perhaps have a rest day today because I trained really hard yesterday and before that. It’s telling me that my body is really tired and that it aches, it needs a rest. As I close my eyes there is another voice in me, my guilt, telling me that I did in fact have a rest day two days ago, that I should really get up and get ready to train. It tells me the tournament is not far away and that all the other players are going to be training today. |
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It is the motivation that gives me the discipline to get out of bed in the morning and put my body through the grueling training necessary to keep me in contention for the top ranking places on our world list. Motivation is absolutely essential in the pursuit of excellence in the sporting arena, as it is for any ambitious career minded person. When everything is going well and you’re winning then motivation comes easy. The real test is when your confidence is down, you’re losing to everyone and can’t hit the ball straight down the wall. When you are on your own for the 10 week summer training schedule and there’s no one there to shout at you to get up, there’s no one there to make sure you do the last 800m on the track or the shuttle sprints on the court. This is when the dedication is really tested, and the question of ‘how much do you really want it?’ is answered. When it’s all down to you! |
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A Commonwealth Games Bronze, the icing on the cake. |
Unfortunately the professional Squash player not only has to get his butt to the court in the morning for training; he has other responsibilities away from the court that go with running his own business. They include ....
All take time and energy away from the main objective of becoming a better Squash player. Food for thought! In Squash, Chris Walker.
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the careful planning of a training schedule during the summer and
following it,