Can you be someone's caddy?

Three weeks ago, I was caddying for my son, Lewis. He plays golf - pretty darn well - and was playing Pennants for his club. Unlike normal tournaments where you are playing against the rest of the field, Pennants is played as Match Play - seven players for each team, each playing an individual match against their opponent. It's high stakes and high pressure for the players. Lewis was playing badly and by the 13th hole he was well behind and staring defeat in the face. He'd fallen into a very negative frame of mind and it was affecting his game badly - and it got worse as defeat loomed closer and he realised he was letting his team mates down.

It's a delicate thing being a caddy...and Dad. Telling him that getting down on himself wasn't helping simply wasn't going to work. I'd been biting my lip, trying to keep positive but it wasn't helping. Finally, on the 13th hole, after he'd hit his drive into the rough and hacked it back onto the fairway, I said "Enough mucking around, it's time to beat this guy".  

The tension around him evaporated and he stood over the ball and hit one of the most magnificent shots I've ever seen to within a few centimetres of the flag. He won that hole and proceeded to play the way he knows he can. He eventually won the match on the first playoff hole. 

 As I reflect on that day, I can't help but notice the similarities with the situation many people, businesses and entire communities face today in these unprecedented times of difficulty. Under pressure, we can become negative and it affects our ability to respond with our full capabilities and potential. 

Lewis needed someone to help him out of his blue funk. In the current environment, I need help to get out of mine. You might need it too. And almost certainly someone around you needs it. We can all make a difference by doing little things that help others in this difficult time - it doesn't take much. An encouraging word. A kind deed.

I’m off to do a bit more caddying...