He’s been a familiar face to BBC UK TV audiences with his ‘A Question of Sport' appearances as team captain, opposite Ally McCoist. But England, Northampton Saints and Wasps rugby star Matt Dawson is stepping well outside his usual comfort zones on national television. Why would anyone want to take on this potential humiliation?
The BBC website on the show says: “Dawson retired from rugby in 2006, after a career which earned him 77 England caps and put him in a crucial position for England's victorious performance in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. There's no doubting Dawson's ability as a scrum half – but the rugby pitch is a long way from the dance floor. Can Dawson learn grace and accuracy after a career of speed and strength?”
The finalists in the BBC MasterChef competition actually showed what it takes to excel in something like this. Two of the three were sportsmen and they clearly had what it took to win in both the sports arena or the kitchen. Their training regime of transferable mental skills was clearly at work.
Matt says: “I enjoyed every single minute of it. I learned from it….. and progressed as I went through the competition”.
So how is he shaping up in Strictly Come Dancing? Well, the competition is still running but he’s in there doing well. He’s listening to the sometimes very harsh comments by expert judges and, most importantly, taking these comments on board and doing something about it!
Dawson says: “As long as I'm not the first out, I'll be happy. Two or three weeks is enough and anything beyond that is a bonus. I'm looking forward to getting into the costumes; you can't really sign up for Strictly Come Dancing and then refuse to wear the sequins and ruffles. When I go down, I want to go down in a blaze of glory!” This healthy attitude is one factor but Matt and dance Partner Lilia Kopylova last week did something to raise their bar everyone should take notice of, irrespective of their business arena.
The previous week they had received comments that, whilst the routine, the steps and timing etc were fine Matt’s performance lacked heart. These dances were of Latin origin and often therefore sexual in nature. Matt’s performance was missing some ‘fire’. So, he brings in an acting coach. I apologise to her but don’t have details of her name or contact info. I have seen a short clip of her session with them and she had them engage in some improvisational theatre games concerned with emotions and feelings.
But the point is this. The following week the judges were suitably impressed with his performance, recognised that he was now feeling the piece, and showing that and two of the four awarded him a nine and ten (out of ten) respectively.
That’s a fine lesson for everyone. If you want to ‘win’ whatever you game, even if it’s something away from your usual arena or outside your comfort zone then do whatever it takes. When you stretch you grow. Something that's stretched never goes back to the same size again. For you that could just mean outsourcing or bringing in an expert from another field, so you can benefit from their knowledge and up your game.
Whatever it takes!
John Gordon
http://www.theinfotainer.com/
