Beyond the Arc
Beyond the Arc
Psychological block
takes its toll on team
I know I haven't written my column in quite some time, so I apologize. That is, if anyone really reads this.
The main reason I haven't been writing a column each week is because of my involvement with the Marion boys' basketball team — sometimes I'm not always sure that my involvement doesn't slight me to one side or another.
But I think that what I'm about to write may be of some interest to those of you who follow sports.
Ever since I was a little boy, I've taken a lot of stock in the value in the game of basketball. I've also taken a lot of value in the mental aspect of the game.
Year after year, I watch teams from our area compete, and year after year, I notice that there seems to be a psychological block between certain teams — meaning some teams appear to have a psychological advantage over the other.
Take for instance, Marion against Council Grove. For all intent and purposes, Marion has a psychological edge over the Braves. Call it "the will-to-win" idea if you like. I'm not diminishing the value of a win over the Braves, but as an observer there appears to be a definite psychological victory before the game is played.
Probably the most evident psychological block is that with our neighbors to the west.
I've seen very good, and even great, Marion teams step foot in the Robert C. Brown Gymnasium at Hillsboro and fall flat on their face. Rarely, have I seen Marion step into a contest in Hillsboro or against Hillsboro (in the past 20 years), where the Warriors "believed" they could win.
The talent and know-how always seems to be there, but ultimately, Marion's opponents seem to have that psychological advantage. Nine times out of 10, the opponent isn't better, they just have a different swagger in their step, because in the end they "believe" they can win.
It doesn't take a cocky demeanor or a flamboyant attitude. It simply takes two of the most fundamental aspects of our lives — will and belief.
