Well it has been a while. Truth be told, I just hadn’t felt
inspired to blog. I hadn’t found a story that fit, a story that showed enough
of a link to sport psychology that would entertain more people than just
myself. The Red Sox have also been painfully average as of late, and even I
have been struggling to continue my “Support Your Sox” campaign.
But I am back, and I have found a story that is the essence
of this blog. This posting really excites me, as it allows me to speak about
one of my heroes, and I think that the identity of this hero will surprise
many.
The person in question has scored more goals for England
than any other player in the history of football. The person grew up in my home
town (or very near), and this person has also played in Boston, where I now
live. Let’s save you all the suspense and reveal that the person is Kelly
Smith. That’s right, one of my sporting heroes is a female soccer player, and I
am very proud of that!
Kelly Smith recently was interviewed by Sky Sports as she
has a new book coming out, which highlights her ups and down throughout her
sporting life, culminating with her inclusion in the Great Britain Olympic
squad, but the interview featured far more than just her life story in a handy
15 minute chunk. For me, it embodied the psychological struggle that so many
athletes face, especially those who are forced to live their life in the public
eye.
There is a theory in psychology that states that in order to
gain mastery over a skill, or to be considered an expert, you need to have
performed that skill for ten thousand hours, and Kelly Smith recalls how she
always had a ball at her feet, both inside and outside. This theory has been
expanded in a sporting sense to suggest that ten thousand touches is enough to
master a technique, and Kelly Smith serves as a great example of how a young
child needs to be constantly practicing, even if just by themselves or with a
sibling.
As a result of this head start, Kelly had to face rejection
at a very early stage in her life. This rejection however, was different than
your typical rejection for not being good enough; in fact, it was the complete
opposite, as Kelly was rejected from playing on boys teams because she was too
good, and the young boy’s parents complained. Rejection can have a profound
impact on a young athlete, and Kelly chose to use this rejection to motivate
her, but for so many it goes the other way.
As Kelly got older, her desire to challenge herself was evident
when she took her talents to the USA to attend Seton Hall University on a full
athletic scholarship for soccer. She had
tremendous individual success at Seton Hall and at the end of her college
career, her number was retired.
Unfortunately this is only half of the story. You see, as Spiderman
teaches us, “With great power, comes great responsibility”, and Kelly
encountered many tests whilst in America. She encountered self-doubt,
loneliness, and injury; as a result of these challenges, she discovered and
began to abuse alcohol. She covered up her alcoholism, until it almost
destroyed her (and her career), but finally broke down and told her Dad
everything, who rescued Kelly, and brought her back home to the UK and Kelly
entered rehab. This was rock bottom for Kelly.
Kelly described herself as a Jekyll and Hyde character,
as on the field she was confident and strong, yet off the field she would hold
back and be far more reserved. This to me speaks of a much deeper issues, as at
the root of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde fables is the underlying schematic of
schizophrenia, a serious mental health disorder. I am not suggesting that Kelly
Smith is or was a schizophrenic, just merely pointing out her own admittance of
having these symptoms. She claims to come alive when on the field, and having
seen her play in person, I can testify that this is the case, as her level of
play is on an upper echelon when compared to her opponents. It is truly
beautiful to watch.
For me, the most important part of the interview was the
acknowledgement of Kelly’s support network. Ultimately, every person needs a
support network in order to help them persevere, and for athletes, this network
needs to be strong. Kelly mentions her family, and for an athlete, the way that
family reacts to triumphs and tribulations can often influence that athlete and
their reactions, which can ultimately make or break their career. Smith also
mentioned two of her coaches and a teammate of hers, whom she had both high
moments in front of, as well as low moments. Once again, it was the reactions
of these coaches and team mates which enabled Kelly Smith to break records and
become the player she is today.
As Kelly smith enters the later part of her footballing career,
she can look back at her life story and take much pride from her
accomplishments, but also from the way that she was able to bounce back from
some very tough challenges.
