Every school pupil should be given the opportunity to benefit from its lessons
Tiger Woods of the US celebrates after sinking a putt. Picture: ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY IMAGES
Experiences in sport remain etched deep inside you. They teach you life’s lessons of discipline, teamwork, respect, leadership and sacrifice, as well as how to overcome despair and humiliation. It focuses your mind like no other activity. All sports people experience the full spectrum of emotions. One of the lessons it taught me was how to plan well in advance, thereby allowing me to frame my future.
At the end of a long training run, he would imagine he was running the last 5km in Comrades, tired, exhausted and having to shoulder on with determination. John Burgess, a training partner, said that Bruce, towards the end of such a run, would sometimes start to sprint, as subconsciously he was running the Comrades. As he broke away from the training group, John would have to clap his hands to bring Bruce back to reality. That commitment and planning was absolute.
Every sportsperson is talented to a degree. Only those who are truly committed nurture that talent to greatness. Legendary players value preparation and future-orientated thinking. It gives them the edge. They work harder and mentally prepare better than others. That gives them the ability to calm their minds to make the right choices, under pressure. They then develop the aura of BMT , which the opposition fear. BMT is not a God-given gift. It is a learnt art of future orientation and planning.