Is Shouting At Your Teammates The Way To Get The Best Out of Them?

pep talks Oct 22, 2021
 

This is something that has probably happened to every single polo player. Is shouting at your teammates really the way to get the best out of them?

What should you be doing? Watch this video to find out. 


Is Shouting At Your Teammates The Way To Get The Best Out of Them?

Transcription:

Well, good morning gang. And this is a welcome from the Kings Polo Club in Egypt, where I work. And I've just changed settings so that you can see a little bit of it.

And I'm in the courtyard. It's a work in progress at the moment, a bit of a construction site, but you can see the stables behind us. You can see the Palm trees that have just been planted and this place very soon is going to actually look completely stunning.

There's the courtyard between these two blocks of stables. And there are two more blocks behind that. We've got nearly a hundred horses here, so really a lovely place to be, and an interesting place to work in.

But what I wanted to really touch on today is the subject that is very near and dear to my heart of, how one treats your fellow players on the field.

Because to be honest, I hear so often...this game is a game of adrenaline. Okay. And unless you keep your emotions under control. You often do things on the field that are, that, that leave a very bad taste in your mouth, you know.

The best player in the world, back when I was playing one, Carlitos Harriet always said to me, this game is played with hot blood and a cold head. And they're just such great advice.

Because to be honest, you know, I see the high goal players yelling at their teammates when they make mistakes. And, you know, I go back to a story of myself when I first started and I went to Argentina. And remember,

I really wanted to do this. I'd gone and worked for a year underground in a gold mine to make enough money, to afford, to go to Argentina and try and start this amazing journey.

So, it wasn't that I wasn't trying, but back then, polo in South Africa was very simplistic. We knew nothing About playing anticlockwise. And because of that, my tail shots were terrible, and my neck shots were bad.

And I went on to play in a game in a club called Cornell Suarez, And I couldn't hit the neck shots. And I was yelled at, by a player on the field for the whole game to a point that I came off, actually, absolutely in tears.

And I was so demoralized. Okay. And wondered if I'd made the right decision to actually come to Argentina. And if I could do this thing. Luckily I actually stuck to it, and, we eventually got there.

But the point is this, that having had that done to me, I've done exactly the same to other players on the field when I got good. And I can remember a case where family friends of ours and their son playing with me. And I was playing like a fool okay. And getting frustrated. And I really took it out on him and started yelling, and screaming, and behaving in a totally inappropriate way.

And when I came, the problem is you then come off the field and you feel like an idiot. You, this kid is a friend of yours and he's a protege. And now you've got to try and justify it to him, you know, sorry, mate. You know, I was just a bit, you know, up tight and this and that.

There's no excuse for that. Get yourself under control. Okay. And the big thing for me is, if you are that higher goal player, sus-out two things. Is the player just being lazy and not doing what you've told him to do?

Or is he unable to do what you're asking him to do? Cause if he's unable to do what you ask him to do, all the yelling and the world is not going to help him.

But guys for you out there that are part of teams and things, just remember also that this is a team game and you've got to be doing your part. And if you being a little bit slack and lazy out there, and your man marking is not good.

Okay. And you are actually not paying attention to a game plan. I have no problem with the captain of the team, getting a bit strong with you and jacking you up and getting you to do what you should be doing on the field.

And you've got to toughen up a little bit also, and be honest with yourself about the fact of that, maybe, you're not doing your part for the team. And in that case, I have no problem with being a little bit strong. But don't yell and scream, it doesn't help. Okay.

And I find these days when I'm playing with teams, that guys really love playing with me because I'm looking for the best in them. I always see people as they can be not as they are that point.

And I love to help people on that field to get better. And I find that that approach really pays dividends. So, I'm really just have a think about it if you're the player being shouted at.

And I would love to hear from you guys, out there, if you've had similar experiences, and please tell me about them. These are things that help everybody. And what your feelings are about this.

So, love to hear from you. And I've obviously expounded as much as I want to on the subject, but be great to get your feedback as well. So, see you in the next lesson.