Can you try too hard?
Ever heard a conversation at your cricket club go something like this:
Senior Player: That Jim is a good player but he tries too hard.
Club Pro: We will soon get that out of him!
*laughter*
The underlying sentiment seems to be that success is wanted by the club, but you can't be seen to be trying too hard to get it.
It's this very approach that stops teams warming up properly, practising regularly with intensity and getting the best out of each other.
Commitment is fine once the white line is crossed and the umpire calls 'play', but not before.
The only difference is time
Why can't a club side take a professional approach to preparation as well as play? You can work just as effectively as an amateur or semi-pro as you can as a professional. You just have less time to do it.
Follow the approach of the Irish for a great example.
It's all down to a matter of your mental approach.
Yet players hold themselves back because they don't want to be seen to be too keen. They want their natural talent to carry them through rather than make the most of what they have.
It makes no sense.
Surely if you are going to do something, you do it was well as you can in the time and knowledge available?
I can help with the knowledge all you have to do is bring full commitment as much as you can. After all, if others in your club see the dramatic improvement that good preparation, better fitness and a well rounded mental approach makes then maybe they will try a bit harder too.
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what do you exactly mean by 'trying too hard'?
Let me answer your question with a question. What do you think it is?
You can never be trying too hard!! It's really annoying when i see probably about 80 - 90% of people training not trying as hard as I know they can, and therefore not getting the best out of each other at the training session. If only everyone put in alot of effort, we would all get better together!
It's not that David's suggesting that you shouldn't try hard - in fact quite the opposite. What he's pointing out is that there's a sentiment in club cricket that it's "uncool" to be seen putting a lot of effort into your practice. You should just be able to turn up for a game and your natural talent will see you through - which is ridiculous!!!
I think it partially stems from people thinking - "I'll never be good enough to play at the very top level - therefore I'll slot into a team at a level that matches my current talent and get by without having to try". This view only holds if other people at that level aren't getting better - so there's an old-fashioned resentment against people that are trying to improve beyond their current level.
That's what I think anyway!
Totally agree Ed