| Defense |
September 19, 2018
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| He was asked to join a baseball game. For him, it was the first time in two decades to play baseball. He used to belong to the baseball team at his company. Although he was not a good player of baseball, the company team was short of members and so he was asked to join. Now he was asked from a teammate of his from that company team who was now the manager of the baseball team of his community. The competition is held among the neighboring communities. His friend's team was short of members. On the day of the game, he went to the school grounds where the competition was held. There were several teams there. When his team's opponent and his team's players started to warm up, he soon realized that the opponent's level was rather higher than his team's. Their throwing was strong, fast, and precise. The game started, and the point difference started to spread. When they were in the last inning, the score was 10-3. There was no chance for his team to win. But a funny thing occurred. The opponent  team's pitcher threw four balls three times in a row. His turn came up, and he hit the ball. His team started to get some points. The opponent's players looked upset, and their play became sloppy. After all, the game finished 10-8, his team lost. The manager, his friend, thanked him very much, showing a certain satisfaction that his team drove the opponent into a corner. When he arrived at home, feeling of a comfortable fatigue overcame him. He thought about the game. Why did the opponent team become that way? Actually this type of thing happens often in the world of sports. The team which is leading by a lot is off their guard, and once it happens they can't concentrate suitably. They start to lose points and it makes them upset. It becomes a vicious circle. Or, more simply, if the team wants to keep their points, their action will become passive or defensive. Players play at their highest level when they are positive. Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' said, "Attack is the best form of defense." If you keep attacking, you can keep your positive feelings. He remembered the recent World Cup Soccer game that his country played in. It was a game in the quarter finals between his country and the No.3 ranking country. His country's ranking was 60th or so. Usually, in this situation, the weaker team would become defensive. But his country's team didn't. And it succeeded until about the first ten minutes of the second half. And an unbelievable thing happened. His country gained 2 points in a row and the score became 2-0. His country's spectators rejoiced very much. At that moment, he thought that the coach would instruct the players to be defensive, to keep those 2 points, very important points. But the coach didn't. He kept the same strategy, not to be defensive. And, at the end, his team was defeated 3-2. His country's opinions about the coach were, on the whole, affirmative. His country's soccer team had always been criticized by fans saying that they were always defensive and didn't take any risks; but now, after this game, they couldn't say that, so people were pleased. "But ..." He couldn't feel that way in his real feeling. Maybe the coach followed the Sun Tzu's lesson, "Attack is the best form of defense." He wanted to know more about Sun Tzu and started to search on the internet. Sun Tzu's was a strategist in China in 5th century B.C. He was the first person who theorized about wars, and how to win. He soon realized that Sun Tzu didn't say, "Attack is best form of defense." He emphasized that NOT fighting was the most important. Because once people began to fight, there would be a big loss of money and people, and the best way 'to win' is to avoid a fight. If they did start to fight, they should attack. The faster that they finished the battle, the better. And after that, defense should be prioritized. He was shocked that his commonsense was reversed and he wished that the coach would have read this book before the game. |
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*vicious circle :«zΒ
*Sun Tze :·q
*affirmative :mθI
*theorize :_»·ι
*prioritize :Dζ·ι
*rejoice :μΤ
*reverse :½ΞΙ·ι