Plenty of practice and empty heads – Part 12: Drafting predators

December 20, 2018 by 6 Comments

A bit of John Lennon, a bit of Michael Clarke, a bit of IVA Richards and some theories of McGilchrist and Panksepp all make this piece, on predators and prey, in a sporting context, much food for thought.

Plenty of practice and empty heads – Part 11: Drafting bastards but dodging dickheads

November 30, 2018 by 3 Comments

David Stiff looks at the young draftees and where they’re at and considers the place of bastardry, larrikinism and supremely talented dickheadness in sport (and other fields of endeavour). [Thought-provoking as always – JTH]

Plenty of practice and empty heads – Part 10: Your frame as the game

November 23, 2018 by 3 Comments

Perspective is very important and, as David Stiff argues, framing perspective has significant benefits. And all this affirmed when tackling the Grand Canyon. [Sage advice for all, but especially those working on major writing projects – JTH]

Plenty of practice and empty heads – Part 9: The place of the sauce in high-performance sport

November 3, 2018 by 5 Comments

David Stiff analyses Craig Dodson’s career-best innings and in doing so helps entrench the place of a night on the sauce in heightened performance. [Love it – JTH]

Plenty of practice and empty heads – Part 6: Winning the race to lose.

October 10, 2018 by 5 Comments

David stiff looks at some ways to win and applies his thesis to the 2018 AFL Grand Final which he says was a one for the ages.

Plenty of practice and empty heads – Part 4: The coach as a secure base.

September 20, 2018 by 2 Comments

“The game teaches the game,” says David Stiff in Part 4 of his series on thinking about sport. The coach provides a secure base. The Tigers are free to play – that is, to play playfully. The fascinating thing about Friday’s match is that the Pies enjoy the same freedom. So what happens?

Win-Win: When sportspeople pull out (Re-defining ideas of winning)

May 25, 2018 by 17 Comments

What is success? In any competition, you can only control yourself; not your opponents. So how does a sporting team build a winning environment? David Wilson provides a thought provoking and stimulating discussion about this issue.

What footballers can learn from Conor McGregor

July 13, 2016 by 1 Comment

How can you become a better sportsperson? According to Jackson Clark it’s all in the mind, and as such, he suggests more time and resources should be devoted to helping young athletes achieve their true potential in sport.