By Orla O’Connor

Blood Guts and Fears

I am not a fan of watching sport.  I like playing it but never understood the appeal of watching people running around and sweating.  However I recently got into a relationship with a guy who loves sport.  He eat breath and sleeps it.  So in the spirit of trying something new, and a vague attempt to understand his love for it, I bought us tickets to see the Ice Hockey yesterday at Ally Pally.  This was only going to go one of two ways, a complete hit or a very wide miss.  

The teams came out one at a time, the first was an American team called Invicta.  They were all slender, for hockey players, and fast.  The glided across the ice at a speed you could only dream of, and with the grace of a ballet dancer.  I couldn’t help but sit there thinking I would hate to be in the other team.  The second team The Racers arrived on the ice a couple of minutes later.  They were much bigger the whole team looked like Rugby props.  This would be a match of speed Vs muscle.  

As the match got more heated every third.  The Invicta’s would try and be fast and skillful then the Racers would knock the crap out of them.  The Racers were winning by a substantial mile by the final third and the Invicta’s began to get angry and fight back.  Elbow and sticks flying at a rate of knots.  This seemed to work and they got a couple of goals off.  

After I got home yesterday from the match I realised there were a few lessons I could take from these players.  

1. Some live sport is actually very entertaining to watch, and attending it with an open mind is the only way you can experience that.  
2. As the old sex joke goes it’s not what you have it’s how you use it.  Play smart using the strengths you have.  Practice and become a master of the skills that naturally suit you.  Just like SCA say we don’t teach advertising, we teach you how you do advertising.  
3. If you fear the hit it will hurt more.  The one time a guy on the ice flinched when he got hit was the only real injury in the game.  Don’t fear getting beaten down then it only hurts more.  Have the balls to be fearless and then you can take any hit coming at you.  
4. Find the passion.  Even when you feel like this is the worst turn of events and you aren’t winning or you get a crap product find the passion.  Find something you can believe in in the project.  If you don’t believe in it why the hell would anyone else.  
5. Finally be a good sports man.  No one likes a sore loser, have the decency to congratulate someone that beats you and work out why they did so next time you can come back winning.