Keighley Cougars have just been relegated and have just thrown away a game they should have won and one that would have taken them of the bottom of the league.  It’s a long story and in many ways a frustrating one.

Basically the team was promoted last season, but then they were deducted 9 points because the taxman forced the club into receivership and so they’ve been up against it all season.  However they could have avoided relegation and have won enough games to indicate what could have been.

The big problem has been that they have lost too many games against the top teams by heavy scores and too many games they’ve won  by a low margin and given their opponents a bonus point (on a couple of games they’ve won by a single point!).  In many of the games they have held their own for long periods and then “gone to sleep” – it’s almost as if they have thought to themselves “we shouldn’t be here they are too good for us” and given their opponenets too much respect.

Physically and technically the coach has done a good job in preparing the team, where they have been let down is by not believing in the fact that they need to mentally prepare themselves – many a game was lost before a ball had been kicked and the team then went on to prove themselves right!  The sefl creation of reality – say it often enough and you’ll beleive it and make it come true.  As the old joke/phrase goes “snatch defeat from the jaws of vistory!”

It shows, to me, that we need to link the left and right sides of the brain – ensure the “hearts and minds” work together to believe otherwise we may trip ourselves up.  We need to create a mental enviroment where can believe and see oursleves achieving to help us achieve.

What is suprising in an age when so many of the sporting greats have been involved in mind based performance enhancing events, seminars and businesses that there are still people who don’t believe!