Jack Ross’ Diary – Highs, Lows And Heaven Knows
In this week’s diary, Jack talks about the emotional side of football and says that he considers emotion to be a vital part of his game. Jack also feigns ‘disgust’ at the attention his team-mate Stevie Convery has been recently receiving from the press…..
Without emotion we may lack the necessary drive to achieve our goals, and yet with too much emotion our targets can become clouded and unattainable. Emotions could best be described as hard to hide and difficult to control. In football, emotions always run high and yet at this crucial stage of the season they are particularly evident.
Promotion success ensures feelings of achievement and elation for some while relegation failure brings despair and emptiness for others. The former is obviously far easier to endure, although the latter can sometimes be the catalyst for a future reversal of emotion. If those currently experiencing the lows can channel the experience in a positive manner then they may well regard it as one of their most beneficial footballing feelings. The ability to do this may be one of the factors that separate the good from the average, and indeed the great from the good.
As Clyde’s season reaches its finale neither extreme of emotion will be felt by players and fans, however as our new manger continues to stamp his own mark on the team it is evident that he is keen that we fulfil our remaining fixtures in the most committed of fashions.
To ensure such an attitude, the manger has approached team talks in a manner that has guaranteed attention and response from the players. He has talked of sporting achievers such as the current Liverpool squad and Tiger Woods, citing their winning mentality and continued 100% commitment and attitude respectively. Such delivery can be easily digested by players and only help them to strive for as much success as is possible in a Clyde jersey.
As always, positive results will be the ultimate test of such an approach. For the moment our unbeaten run continues and while draws have been as plentiful as victories the ability to avoid defeat is a solid foundation on which to build future progress. From my own viewpoint I have always believed that I perform better in both training and games when my passion and emotions ride close to the surface. This inevitably means that I am sometimes susceptible to the odd outburst, a consequence that often leads to a valuable personal learning experience.
With sport and emotion, it is essential to marry the two in the most productive manner and perhaps the wisest words are those given in a well-known prayer where serenity is vital for accepting things that cannot be changed, courage necessary to change the things that can, but most importantly wisdom essential to know the difference between the two.
On a far more lighthearted note it would seem that several of the Clyde squad are touting Stevie Convery for an Ireland call up. They believe that he must be the gaffer’s son due to the recent press he has given him!