Page 54 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 137

54 Issue #137 June 2024 www.sportsenergynews.com

It Is What It Is batting average, and slugging thirty-two home runs heading Beal, Klay Thompson, Gordon
percentage. Throw in thirteen into year five of the contract, Hayward, and Chris Paul
home runs and eleven stolen and he’s played a little more make 30 to 40-million dollars
By Peter Collins
bases, and this unassuming than twenty-five percent of per year, and their present
superstar is the gold standard for the LA’s games. The NHL has accomplishments don’t justify
performance under pressure. The it’s share of underachievers, their huge salaries. Back to
sports world is littered with high Johnny Gaudreau, Brendan Ohtani, there is hope next year
ow does a professional salaried stars who have failed to Gallager, Jack Campbell, and that Shohei could also pitch. So

Hathlete earn their live up to their contracts. Recent Johnathan Huberdeau have all that will add to his already stellar
70-million-dollar annual salary? examples include MLB’s Kris struggled to meet expectations and impeccable résumé. Shohei
How does a professional athlete Bryant has one homer this year, of their big salaries. In the NHL averages about fifteen wins a
deal with the pressure of that and a .149 batting average, he is because of the salary cap, a few year, as a starting pitcher when
yearly stipend when it totals in his third year of a seven-year, overpaid players can handcuff he’s healthy. Seven-hundred-
700-million-dollars for the 182-million-dollar contract. a team for years. In the NBA, a million dollars over ten years
next ten seasons? Well, one How about the Angels, they league which leads all leagues seems like a gross overpayment,
quarter way through the 2024 signed Anthony Rendon to a in average salary, the average and it is. Unless you are the
baseball season, Shohei Ohtani seven-year, 245-million-dollar player makes over 10 million greatest baseball player since
is leading the league in hits, contract. The result so far, a year. Players such as Bradley Babe Ruth!

KARATE KOMMENTS there will also be an improvement in the attributes, both physical and
mental.
In the previous columns we looked at specific karate drills used to
target each of the physical attributes; here is a way to help improve
mental focus. Visualization or mental imagery has been used by
By Jim Riddell, athletes from various sports as a means of enhancing performance for

Seaway Karate Club several decades. Two prime examples of elite athletes who also used
this technique were golfer Jack Nicklaus, and boxer Muhammad Ali.
Nicklaus, before each shot, would envision his swing, the flight of the
n the four previous Karate Komments columns we have been ball, and the ball landing exactly where he wanted it to. Ali, while during
Idiscussing the physical attributes or components that must be his early morning roadwork, would envision his opponent running past
developed for one to become proficient in the art. We will now look him. He would use that as a motivational tool to train harder, ensuring
at the attribute focus, one which may not be physical, but without it a that he had the conditioning required to get him through the late rounds
student will never achieve his or her potential. Working on those five of a championship fight. Martial artists Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris
physical components, speed, power, timing, balance, and co-ordination, both had success using visualization techniques, with Norris using them
will over time help the student to develop mental fortitude and focus. for both fighting and kata. So how does this work? Using at least three
Karate is an individual sport where staying focused for long periods is of your senses (more if possible), and kata as an example - have a seat,
important as students are participating 100% of their class time. It is close your eyes, and do a kata in your mind. 1) Visualize that perfectly
also a sport that provides a good mix of anaerobic and aerobic activity executed kick, 2) Feel your feet slide over the floor into the next stance,
that will help to relieve any stressors or irritations that may have built up 3) Hear the snap of your sleeve as you fire out that reverse punch. As
during the day. It is important that instructors recognize when a student you are sitting relaxed in that chair, you will get a slight neuron response
loses focus and implement a plan to get them quickly back into the in your muscles as you execute those punches, kicks, and stances. This
groove. Our instructor team at Seaway Karate follows the four P’s -1) practice will be beneficial in helping you to reproduce them later with
Focus on the Positive - any mistakes should be viewed not as a negative, improved form. A few years ago, one of our club members had to write
but an opportunity to improve. 2) Focus on the Present - put emphasis a university exam the day before she was to compete in the kata division
on the material that needs to be worked on in that particular class. 3) of a tournament. With no time for karate class or even home practice
Focus on the Process - keeping both individuals and the class on track. in the two weeks leading up to her exam, she managed to find the time
4) Focus on Progress - the progressive belt system is a great means of to visualize herself performing the kata at the tournament. Not only
developing focus as it is a series of small goals (coloured belts), leading did she ace the exam, but she also took first place in the tournament.
to a larger goal of eventually earning a black belt. With each belt earned, Targeting the attributes – speed, power, timing, balance, co-ordination,
and focus is one of the keys to becoming a successful martial artist.