Coaching a team=Managing a company

Tonight was the last day of our sports fest. It was suppose to be last Friday but the weather did not permit to end it. I'm glad that destiny did not permit it because I had learned a lot from this day especially in making a solid foundation of our team.

Here is our situation: We are on the rally with white team for the overall championship. Our statistics against the white team is 75 for white team and 70 for black team. The white team has 2 more games and if ever they will win any of the two games without a doubt they are the champion.

Early morning as I internalize about our team mate they are very confident that they will win. It's nice to be confident but it's deadly to be over confident. There are also certain rules to consider before you over estimate any opponent in a certain game. And that's the key the white team lacks.

We had 3 games in badminton. The first game was the continuation of the men's double. As I observe carefully about the game one of the best learning that I have ever learned was experience.

The white team lacks experience for they just played but they are very much aggressive. The problem with them was they did not practice. I guess they over estimate their opponent and too lazy to practice. They should think of their selves and watch how their opponent play. For 3 days holiday they did not perform any single practice to calculate their smash and how should they play. Both team mates has a strong offense and defense move and can play smarter but they lack the momentum during the game. Lots of errors and a very wrong move particularly: allowing their opponent to smash their service.

What I learned in this game is very special. Once you are in a game if you never practice you will never execute the right formula to allow your opponent to make a mistake.

On the other side of the team which is the orange team. Obviously the main guy is very much well experience and ready to rock. Early morning as I ate my breakfast I saw this guy. Before last Friday I coach the white team because they are my friends but as soon as I found out that we need to win this game and not allow them to win any single event I immediately change side. What I did to that main guy was to encourage him to do his best and be the champ why? so that the white team won't defeat us in an overall champion.

I speak to him and told him "you just have to be the champ" the funny thing was he did agree. That alone is enough for me to assure them that they will beat those team into their assess hahaha. And it did happen.

During the game not only the main guy perform very well but at the same time his partner who was thought to be his main weakness perform very well. I was very much impress with the main guy since he perform most of the most difficult counter moves to make them win.

Indeed, a very experience player.

But the main point was to persuade. To encourage one person to be on top.

The second game was women's division. One of those women player did ask for my help on how to improve his skill. So I did couch her how. Giving her special moves like the killer serve and the power smash. Their opponent was a well known killer champions. Because during the previous game 2 teams in their brackets was known to be a good player and they can really play. They can really smash. However, what makes this team unique is the ability to counter the moves in the simplest way and allow their opponent to commit the mistakes. And that makes them known as the killer champs.

After teaching the girl the right serve and the right smash and technique they defeated their opponent. I even experience the killer serve as I play with her. It was simple and yet I can't understand why it was so difficult to counter.

The main point of this story was preparation. In anything you do never underestimate your opponent and always get ready to rock!

I did not really watch the game because as I look at the rally they seem to be pretty good. And besides I can see that the opponent was not prepared at all.

The last and final game which is the third game was the main event. This game dictates the future of the white team. The lingering question of will they take the over all champion against our team?

As I check out the game and they already began playing the first set. I guess I was late then. The crowd was so silent since they focus much of their white team. Majority of the crowd was white team. I can even see my self clapping all alone at the first set. I carefully observe how the white team play and prepare my team for the right formula. Little by little I cheer them to keep the momentum going. This strategy allows my team to focus on their opponent instead of fear of error.

On the first set the white team wins since the main guy has a very good defense and offense. His partner which is a girl is setup in front to block any attempt of pleasing (a slow type move of the shuttle as it enters the court of the opponent) it was really difficult to stop it. Plus the main guy has a power smash that if your unprepared you will never know where it came from.

One of my tasks was to keep the momentum going. I was quite late at the first set but ready to fully coach the team on the second set. I keep on chanting what to do if the opponent serves the shuttle. Example: if the girl will serve I know she is weak and can not execute the right serve so I keep on telling them Kill! Kill! Kill! It has 3 benefits actually. First, is to guide my team. Second, is to distract our enemy. At the first game, what I observe was any player who can hear the chants will be out of focus. As I keep on telling the team to kill the serve especially the weakest girl. The girl somehow felt the fear of being hit by a power smash. At the same time when the guy serves, I keep on telling them to put on the defense and let them return the shuttle to their opponent's court. It made him feel threaten in a way that his killer serve was already check. And number 3 keep them motivated. Thanks to the Chicago Bulls DVD that I bought. I learned a lot of technique on how to make a winning team hahaha.

It's nothing but motivation

We won the 2nd set and the last but not the least the third set was the most exciting game. I began to keep the cheer going to distract more the opponents. My additional cheer was this: I keep on telling the opponent that he is already tired. I just keep on shouting "pagod na yan!" just to distract. One by one they fall until it reach the deadlock of 14. Since the game is until 15 it was set to who gets the 3rd round. What I notice was I keep on telling them to have the time out but it seems my team mate won't listen. Until, I finally shouted for time out.

This is the most funny advise that they get by one of my partner. "Pare ok na yan malayo na ang inabot nyo ok lang yan." and what make it worse they listen to him. Damn! I could actually see the depress in my teammate eyes but hey im here to the rescue. I immediately interupt and told him "wag! wag ganyan!" I told them to keep on focus and let them remember that the main guy is already tired. They can do it. Defense on the smash make sure that no matter what happen they should return the ball back to their opponent. Kill the weak service as fast as you can.

It was game time. We had our first serve. Both of my team mates added 1 point each which makes it 2 out of 0. During those time I keep on telling them that they are tired then the girl reacted that she is tired. It was a good sign because it shows she is distracted. It was my main goal.

But the opponent counter the move so its their time to score. The first serve was the weakest girl and luckily it was stop. The second serve was from the main guy it was good and they got 1 point. The rally began 2 out of 1. Every audience was silent. I was the one who talks a lot saying "defense or sure sure sure." then after a couple of smash there and there we break the serve. And its our turn.

I call this my final move hahaha. Everyone was tense especially the white team since the pressure is all around them. Everyone was silent. We keep on telling them "isa na lang isa nalang." As my team mate prepare the serve I made the long howl more like "whoooooooo" and the same time clapping my hands.("deep inside I was embarass as they all look at me but who cares as I tell to my self") It was like telling them that we already won. And guess what? the weakest girl did not move out of tension hahaha. I could even see the other team laughing at me during those howling time but deep inside I know the feeling as a player since they did it to me during my game and it's pay back time.

They keep on cheering on me that time when I was playing. They where shouting at me like "I love u mark!" "ang galeng mo mark!" that made my momentum drown to empty. I just give them their own medicine. hahaha.

I believe that only experience can counter that kind of tension. So in every game know your weakness and develop it. Be prepared and get ready for it will build up confidence. Best of all never ever under estimate your opponent. Always focus on who you will be face off for at the right game you will never know why you keep on getting that same mistake over and over again.

I will forever treasure this experience for I will use it for my next team.

It has to be Wormz.

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