American bias, Maria Maria and a hot chocolate update!
Another day, another AMAZING venue! This time we arrived at Wimbledon for Olympic tennis. Here’s the weird world I’m living in at the moment. Wimbledon felt a bit anti-climatic. Coming off of Beach Volleyball (AKA 4 hour dance party) just 12 hours ago, the subdue Tennis crowd felt…well…underwhelming. We were at Wimbledon nonetheless, so we absorbed every ounce of this leg of our Olympic experience. We had tickets for Court 1, just next to Centre Court where you’ve seen the final matches on TV. One dynamic I’ve become well aware of here on the worlds biggest stage, is that there is not much public support for American teams. Is it that people like to cheer for the underdogs? Every time we’ve seen US teams, they’ve been the statistical favorite. This obviously isn’t the case in every sport but just so happens in the competitions we’ve attended. Is it that the Eastern Europeans just have a stronger contingent here in London? Maybe. Or is it my typical American bias (“We are the best, why are they not cheering for us???”). Hard to say…due my strong American bias. J
We had the privilege of watching the “Russian Maria’s” Sharapova and Kirilenko, battle it out. There were many jokes during their match, “Go Maria!!!” “Go Russia!!” Wimbledon humor…an unexpected surprise! This was a great match to watch from a mental perspective. Sharapova was slow to start. I am not familiar enough with her style of play to know if this is simply the way she plays or if she was a bit off early in the match. Regardless, she worked her way back (6-2, 6-3). This was a semi-final, so the winner would go on to face the Serena Williams in the final. The biggest observable difference between the two Russian’s was how they managed between points. Kirilenko quickly got back into position, either serve or serve-receive, and was on her toes, ready to go. I wondered if this makes her competitors feel some urgency to get going, creating a good psychological advantage. On the other hand, Sharapova looked very focused and purposeful in between points. She slowed down, she picked at her strings, turned her back to her opponent walking to the back of the court. Once she turned around, she was ready. Again, it’s her consistency that stands out. Sharapova clearly is disciplined with her routine and in time, it paid off. This is exactly the point that I am always trying to get across to my clients, routines create familiarity, regardless of conditions and staying disciplined to your routines will allow you to perform through anything. Excellent mental performance with results to match!
I wanted to take a moment to update those of you who are waiting on pins and needles wanting to know where Brittan’s best hot chocolate can be found. You’ll be happy to know that Ryan has been diligent in his research. He can identify a hot chocolate location from a mile away…and I as he Research Supervisor I am obliged to comply with each and every request. Ryan rates each Hot Chocolate on 3 attributes:
- Temperature
- Chocolatiness
- Whipped Creaminess
Here’s what we can reveal so far; details make a difference. A touch of chocolate sauce drizzle, some sprinkles, and simply including whipped cream are a sure way to get top ratings. Ryan has rated everything from the run of the mill (yet highly rated) Starbuck’s Hot Chocolate to the one-of-a-kind, home made hot cocoas of Northern Scotland. He wants to keep the results secret until his research is complete. Feel free to send him some encouragement and support to continue on his path to great hot chocolate!!!
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