Introduction
Over
the years, I have seen many good umpires (myself included) put in
sub-standard performances simply because we have decided
not to be positive. We have let other emotions like fear, anxiety and
negativity take over our thought processes. I have spoken before
about the use of ‘self-talk’ and how important it is – how many
of us have said to ourselves “I hope that he doesn’t bowl from my
end”, ‘I hope that I don’t make any mistakes today” and “I
don’t like umpiring at this ground or umpiring that team’?
Do
you think positively or negatively?
Firstly,
let’s establish whether you think positively or negatively. Can you
answer ‘yes’ to all of the following statements?
-
I have a ‘can do’ attitude
-
I display good body language
-
I enjoy umpiring
-
I don’t blame others for what happens to me
-
I can stay calm when things go wrong
-
I can concentrate in practice and in the game
-
I don’t need to try and impress others
-
I am accepting of other peoples’ strengths and weaknesses
If
you answered “no” to any of the above, then you have some work to
do in improving your pattern of thinking and self-confidence. As a
cricket umpire, you are often your own worst critic and when things
get tough, you might be subconsciously destroying yourself. So, let’s
look at some ways to build some strength in self-confidence and
self-belief.
Building
Confidence and a Positive Attitude
1.
Build on experience
As
we umpire games, we build experience on what works for us and what
doesn’t. We get more knowledge of what to expect in all sorts of
different situations. It is vital that we take the good things out of
our games and write them down to demonstrate our abilities – then
we have something to refer back to when times are tough.
It
is also just as vital to learn from our experience and mistakes. The
more mistakes we make, the more we learn! Well… we should and
Bennett King’s philosophy is that it is ok for one of his players
to make a mistake but it is terrible if he makes the same mistake
twice. It is important to remain positive after making a mistake by
seeing that there is an opportunity to learn something from it and
get better after it.
2.
Preparation (covered fully in Module 2)
Confidence
comes from success and success comes from thorough preparation. Every
game you umpire is like an examination of your umpiring qualities –
so, with good preparation, you can go into every match feeling as
though you have done everything possible to prevent situations that
might bring about pressure or stress.
The
right preparation in diet, sleep and exercise can make you feel
physically good. The right mental preparation in terms of Laws and
playing conditions knowledge, players and ground facilities will
assist in feeling mentally good. How you feel has an impact on how
you think. If you feel good and positive then you are more likely to
think positively – thus begins the most important vicious cycle.
3.
Develop a positive attitude
Good
preparation and feeling positive begins the process of training the
brain to be positive – the more you think positively, the more you
literally put your brain onto auto pilot. Use the positive comments
that you receive to continue to build your self-confidence.
It
is important to think about what you are going to do next, not what
happened last – file mistakes for later and objectively examine
them to use as a learning tool. Every time you talk to yourself, make
it positive and when negative thoughts or doubts start to enter your
mind – turn them around and focus on the good things.
4.
Keep your head where your body is
We
do not have control over the past or the future, so don’t let your
mind wander into those zones when you are umpiring or practicing. You
only have control over the present, so that is where you need to keep
your mind and focus. This is easier said than done, but can be done
with constant practice. When you walk out to umpire, it is important
to remember that your performance on the day is all that matters.
One
good way to keep your head where your body is, is to develop lots of
short term goals. Short term goals like – focus only on the next
ball, to work hard on the 1st
over after lunch, to get through to the next drinks break.
5.
Visualise
Prior
to any game that you umpire, take some time to think in some quiet
time to picture yourself on the field in full control of what you are
doing. Visualise yourself arriving at the game, calling play, making
a good decision and walking off feeling strong and positive. Picture
and expect positive outcomes. Visualise and expect the unexpected.
6.
Listen to your body
Be
aware of how you feel and act on it. When you feel yourself getting
stressed and frustrated, you are more likely to overreact and focus
on the negative. You need to turn these feelings around quickly and
go back to all the positives and good things.
If
you are feeling physically sore, then stop exercising or whatever is
creating the soreness – get some relief and feel good. If you feel
down or depressed then do something that will cheer you up – spoil
yourself as you deserve it. Remember, when you feel good you will be
in a positive frame of mind.
7.
Make positive statements continually
If
you can think it, then you can achieve it. Whatever you think in your
mind can be willed into your real world. Think positive outcomes and
you will get positive outcomes.
-
I am a good umpire
-
I am a good person
-
I make good, confident decisions
-
I can easily focus my concentration and manage the match
-
I will do well and succeed
Conclusion
I
trust that you have identified if you need to address your type of
thought process. The objective is to be more positive in the way we
approach our umpiring matches and practice sessions. Look at mistakes
as learning opportunities and look to build confidence through
experience, good preparation, visualisation and positive self-talk.
Take control of your thoughts – make the conscious decision to be
positive and you will achieve more.
Courtesy
of Simon
Taufel