Let’s say that you watch biathlon. I. e. a sport that combines nordic skiing and shooting down the targets. Let’s say that one biathlete arrives at the shooting position and hits 2, but misses three of the five targets. Than a commentator says: “well, this athlete is not yet strong enough in his mind”.
A youngster wanting to be a biathlete might take this as a given, ironclad truth; and when trying to shoot down the target, the cause for missing is “a weak mind”. Maybe this yougster thinks further about it, tries to correct it, but misses still come. And it may become a spiral, going on and on – putting too big of a burden on this yougster’s mind. And soon he or she might start changing parts of mind that are actually all fine and well.
Now let’s say commentator says it differently. “It may be a focus difficulcy. When on shooting mattress, you just need to be able to follow the steps of the shooting process and not allow what is going on in that situation to tick you off those steps. /…/ It may also be a tempo of skiing in that last loop. Maybe going a bit overboard in that part of his performance; wanting a bit too much. /…/ Or it may be the posture there. Look at the arm going slightly a bit too forward, which makes an uneven, unbalanced position …”. I think it makes a huge difference. And what I am writing about here is an attribution.
Excellence in commentating
What you listen to and how you shape your mind means a lot. The way you understand the world determines where you are doing to place your efforts. What you attribute successes and failures to is very important. It is not just if you want to be an athlete, but this can also transcend into other aspects or onto a life in general. I am going to point out the case of Eurosport international platform. They advocate excellence with their staff, and as part of WBD they operate under a mission We exist to unlock the power of sport.
Sport events are followed by large crowds. Commentators’ voices and their words travel to many ears in our world and shape our minds. The influence is big, and therefore the responsibility. It matters what a commentator says, it matters what a commentator knows. I love watching sport as an inspiration and source of energy for life, but to be that, the narration has to be real and truthfull – so it can actually give you good grounds for your life. And since I noticed that difference in listening to incompetent and to competent commentators, I have changed the channels and the platforms in which I follow sports.
Eurosport, at least as one good example, provides trained individuals, and assembles groups of commentators that bring in broad views and give you a more wholesome insight into what is going on in the sport you are watching. Watching sports this way, you can actually learn a lot about human potentials for development, about potentials and ways of collaborating, and so on. You can learn, and it also makes much more sense in real life, so you can take it and use it for yourself.
Conclusion
How do you like commentators where you follow sports? Do you like to follow their narrative? Do you think it makes sense and forms a good mindset in you?
The good and positive thing I see in how Eurosport works, is that they respond well to the influence they have. They emphasise quality and advocate for excellence. They bring in a lot of aspects and a lot of expertise. And in this way … following sports becomes a different sort of experience. And not only for individual, but a good one for a mindset of society.
Paradim 