Just as I was thinking along these lines, they occur in the interview a sportsman gave. This is a man I've admired for a while now, for all his calmness through achievements, a man who came back from failures, but all the time remaining gloriously controlled and dignified. This is the sort of character I like for a role model: a man with a drive for achievement, tempered with dignity, culture and composure. He brings an intensity into the game that is as focused on the goals as is measured. Well, the sport is cricket and I'm Indian, so no marks for guessing that its Rahul Dravid. Here's the quote I was talking about earlier, and its from this interview:
Q: Your cricket is characterised by intensity ... whether it's batting or captaincy. How do you manage to sustain that intensity over a long period?
RD: You have to enjoy playing. And you have to make sure you never forget that it's just a game. You have to love the game. I always think about how I began.
When I was a young kid I remember what it felt like to come back from school, throw the bags, quickly get something to eat and then get out to the street to play cricket. We played for two-three hours and how we enjoyed it. It was so much fun. Then there were the school nets and I couldn't wait to go out and play. I was so keen just to hear the bell ring so I could get out there and bat. That's something that never goes away.
Obviously when you're playing professionally for such a long period of time the pressures are different. You taste success, you face defeats, there are some lonely days on the road ...
but if you can always go back to the joy of why you began playing the game in the first place, then the intensity will automatically come whether you're playing your first game, the second or the hundredth.
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