Why we cannot get rid of that mental barrier, especially against certain teams

In my opinion, it is about pride. It is the ego. I kept thinking to myself. My team is full of talented players. They are passionate about the game. Then why do they always crack under pressure? It is about their ego. It is the standards that each player set for themselves.

I quickly get the book egonomics and read through the first 2 chapters. True enough, I got my answers. Allow me to share with you.

1. Ego can make the individual better or worse. Competition blurs our focus. I remember reading this. If you keep an eye on winning, you cannot keep both eyes on your opponent. If you keep both eyes on your opponent, you cannot focus on your performance. When the comparison gets personal, the level of internal competition leads to behaviours that make individual less effective.

In 4 different group experiment, team members withheld information from the team leader assigned to make decision. They give inaccurate information to the team leader when they perceived the decision maker to be ULTRACOMPETITIVE. Just remember, the opponent seems larger or better doesn't make us any weaker or 'lesser'.

2. These comparisons could be due to the following three reasons.
a. Wrong Goal. What are we comparing? The number of wins we have over this opponent? Sustainability? No. of members in the club? Financial status? Are we envy of the opponent?
Envy is a strong motivator, but a weak navigator.
The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on improving all the time.

b. Goal set too high. High expectations can lead to initial motivation but it can also be discouraging and expensive in the long run. Can we beat Pyro in the next tournament? Frankly speaking, not even near...

c. We get comfortable where we are. Are we really that good? There are so many teams that look good out there who can beat us anytime. Look at some local clubs. If we put our foot off the accelerator, they will overtake us. Did you see the Philipines' Youth Team. Men, 2 more years and the Philipinas could be in two semis-finals. Are we capable for more? You bet. The enemy is ourselves. The enemy of Great is Good. We need to constantly improve. How? Shiok must be a learning club.

We need to achieve Personal Mastery at all levels. The beginners, the aspiring players and the leaders. Every player must take charge of their learning and improvement. Once a week training is not sufficient. If you feel like slacking after Opens, you are the worst professional player ever. Yes, you can rest. But why waste all the efforts, especially if you have peaked during opens. Don't allow your body to crumble and go to waste.

We must make sure every player has the same mental model and shared vision. Shiok's vision is very simple. Always do our best, develop players to their fullest potential and contribute actively to the community. If every player can achieve that, then team learning can take place and Shiok can move forward together. We cannot allow laggers. They are a pain to the team and the team has to slow down to wait for them. We should get rid of weeds asap.

Lastly, we need to create our own future. We create our own directions. If you find yourself playing a few sports, you might need to sit down and consider which one is the best for you. As working adults or even students, it is not possible to be the best in both sport. You can only play and train hard in one game. You will definitely sacrifice the other game. Choose one and be the best you can be. Focus.

Shiok's destiny is in our hands.