WE all love pantomimes! Oh no, we don’t! Oh yes, we do! Yes, pantomimes certainly bring out the child in us! Every year in the build-up to Christmas, many people go to the theatre for the only time in the year, to watch (and join in the fun) a pantomime with all its traditions. Generally, males play females and females play male parts; good takes on evil in a not-too-serious manner; slapstick comedy is the order of the day; costumes are ridiculously over-the-top; it is all great fun!
Above all, though, audience participation is encouraged – indeed, it is required! If the audience does not get involved then the actors will be seen to have failed in their role! The favourite way of involving the audience is one character saying, “Oh yes you are” with a chorus of “Oh no, you’re not!” echoing back from the audience. And then there is the classic warning “He’s behind you!”
We might wonder what on earth this has to do with school sport; school sport is not a joke; it does not require (nor must it allow) audience participation; there is no answering back. But, wait, it’s behind you! Further explanation is clearly required and shall be given!
Roger Federer is recognised as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He won an astonishing twenty Grand Slam titles, along with over one hundred other tournament titles. At the same time, (and as importantly) he was awarded the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award thirteen times and the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award five times. It is worth considering what Federer has recently said about himself, when he was Guest of Honour at an American University Graduation.
“In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career,” he said, “I won almost 80% of those matches... Now, I have a question for all of you... what percentage of the points do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%. In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play.” The best players win barely more than half of the points they play. Seriously? Yes!
Federer went on: “When you lose every second point on average you learn not to dwell on every shot. You teach yourself to think: ‘Okay, I double-faulted… it’s only a point.’ ‘Okay, I came to the net and I got passed again … it’s only a point’. Even a great shot, an overhead backhand smash that ends up on ESPN’s top 10 playlist – that too is just a point.” For good measure, in case we cannot work it out for ourselves (which sadly is the case for many coaches and parents), Federer explained his point further. “Here’s why I’m telling you this. When you’re playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. And it is. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset is crucial - because it frees you to fully commit to the next point with intensity, clarity, and focus.”
There we have it; just like the pantomime, “it’s behind you!” This time though it is far more serious. The point (not the villain) is behind you – it is gone, finished, no more; it cannot be changed. So, move on. Children need to learn that they will lose a point; they will concede a goal, a try, a run, a wicket, a game, a series of games, a season of games even. After each one, though, it is behind them. The problem is that as coaches and parents we expect them not to lose any points – we demand they do not lose any. They must be unbeaten. And of course, this is a massive life lesson for children; the same principle applies to days, lessons, tests, exams, work, relations. It’s behind you. It is only a point. One point. There are more to follow. Next, please. Put it behind you!
Federer also added, “The best in the world are not the best because they win every point… it’s because they know they’ll lose … again and again… and have learned to deal with it.”
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Coaches instead try to tell their youngsters they must not lose and they certainly do not help children learn how to deal with it (other than throwing a tantrum or a racket or both). What actually counts is not the last one but the next one. The next one is the one that matters. That is the whole point.
The ‘baddie’ is behind you, the coach telling you rubbish. Children need to learn that the next point is the most important. If we do not help our children learn this lesson, this life lesson, this work lesson, we have lost the point of education; we will make a pantomime of sport and education. It is just a point; it is behind you. And if we do not understand this, we will be the villain – oh yes, we are!
