I am “capable” and I will win! But ability does not in itself lead to success….

We imagine an athlete in a very well-structured competitive preparation, with a lot of work on a technical and physical level, with a great focus on his diet and training, with a very good level of physical condition and many hours of recovery and “attention” of himself. He seems to have prepared well, he experiences high self-confidence, he appears confident in his good performance and the corresponding result. He believes that with such good preparation, a good result is a given.
Which in the end did not come ……
Why did he not have the performance he expected, when everything seemed to have become “perfect”?
Because between the preparation and the desired performance, there is a “Competitive Behavior“. It is the factor that will determine if the work he has done will “come out”, if he will be able to unfold all his ability in the race.
Competitive behavior, in almost every sport, requires the release of energy, with high mobility and alertness, high concentration and focus on the appropriate elements, with persistent effort, with control of himself and his emotions.
No matter how good an athlete is on a technical level, no matter how good his physical condition is, no matter how “top” he is in his sport, if he fails to concentrate and release energy, the result will not come. The process is not automatic, it requires constant vigilance from the athlete.
This is why the “big surprises”, the prevalence of the “weak against the favorite” and other conditions encountered in the sports field take place: Why athletes or teams get the illusion that whatever work I did in the preparation, will win on her own….”. Especially in sports, nothing seems to be a given and nothing is won or lost before the race takes place.
And there the “Competitive Behavior” plays a dominant role!