The Fizzling Out Phenomena

Why Indian athletes struggle to build on the the momentum of the 'BIG DEBUT' splash?

As we delve into the dynamic world of sports, particularly focusing on the Indian Premier League (IPL), an intriguing pattern emerges: new entrants often make a spectacular debut, only to see their performance wane in the subsequent years. This phenomenon raises important questions about the sustainability of initial success and the challenges athletes face in maintaining high performance levels over time.

The Four Components in Elite Performance:

• Physical Competence: Often misunderstood, physical strength is a not a pre-disposing factors to success in game based sports, but it is a pre-requisite to being able to practice for long enough to master a skill. Secondly, it allows one to get to the penultimate play in competition with all mental faculties intact.
• Technical Competence: This is the skill development component. This gets enhanced when the physical component is a non-negotiable in team set ups.
• Strategy & Awareness: This refers to the application of one's skill towards a game plan. Sometimes, we refer to this as the invisible gap between strategy and execution.
• Mental Competence: This refers to a plays decision making ability, confidence, their composure under pressure, their ability to be analytical in competition and their emotional and mental resilience.

Sustained success is a by-product of these four factors. To understand why athletes fizzle out, we need to deep dive here.

In the IPL, we've witnessed numerous players who burst onto the scene with remarkable performances in their debut or initial seasons, only to fizzle out later.

IPL Examples:

• Paul Valthaty (IPL 2011) - Kings XI Punjab:

Stellar Season: 2011 - 463 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 136.98, including a memorable 120* off 63 balls.

Subsequent Seasons: Failed to maintain the same level of performance. In 2012, he managed only 30 runs in 6 matches, and his opportunities dwindled thereafter.

• Swapnil Asnodkar (IPL 2008) - Rajasthan Royals

Stellar Season: 2008 - 311 runs in 9 matches at a strike rate of 133.47, playing a key role in Rajasthan's title-winning campaign.

Subsequent Seasons: His form dipped significantly in the next seasons, managing only a handful of runs and losing his place in the team.

• Saurabh Tiwary (IPL 2010) - Mumbai Indians

Stellar Season: 2010 - Amassed 419 runs in 16 matches with a strike rate of 135.59, including 3 fifties, playing a crucial role in Mumbai Indians reaching the final.

Subsequent Seasons: Struggled to maintain the same form, with decreasing run tallies and limited opportunities in the playing XI across various franchises.

• Manan Vohra (IPL 2013) - Kings XI Punjab

Stellar Season: 2013 - Scored 161 runs in 10 matches with a strike rate of over 124, showcasing his talent as an aggressive opener.

Subsequent Seasons: While he had moments of brilliance in later seasons, Vohra struggled with consistency and failed to secure a permanent spot in the starting XI of any team.

• Ishan Kishan (IPL 2018) - Mumbai Indians

Stellar Season: 2018 - Scored 275 runs in 14 matches, including a blistering 62 off 21 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders, showcasing his explosive batting talent.

Subsequent Performance Variability: Ishan Kishan's performances have seen ups and downs. Though he has had moments of excellence, including a superb 2020 season, his form has been inconsistent, leading to fluctuating selections and roles within the team.

This list can be exhaustive but the article is not about the athletes of their performances. Its about the 'why' and the whose responsibility is it?

Factors Contributing to the Initial Success and Subsequent Decline:

1. The Element of Surprise: In their debut season, new players have the advantage of being relatively unknown to their opponents. This lack of familiarity works in their favour, allowing them to exploit gaps and weaknesses that the opposition isn't prepared for. However, as they become more prominent, teams start analysing their play style, strengths, and weaknesses, making it harder for them to find space and opportunities. Their initial success is a tick mark on talent but the subsequent success brings into question the quality of the support in helping them pivot. An article that explore how coaching styles can contribute to burnout.
2. Pressure and Expectations: In their first year, newcomers often play with a sense of freedom, unburdened by high expectations. This psychological advantage enables them to perform at their best. However, after a breakthrough season, the expectations soar, and the pressure mounts. The stress of replicating their initial success can be overwhelming, affecting their confidence and performance. Not to mention, the pressure of being a star with multiple other engagements on their calendar.
3. Adaptation by Teams and Players: Teams quickly adapt to new threats, and what worked in the debut season might not be as effective in the following years. Opponents learn and adjust their tactics, making it harder for once-successful players to influence games as they did initially. It is important to remember that after every game, more than 100,000 data points are downloaded for analysis. Almost every conceivable strength, weakness, opportunity ans threat emerges, substantiated with data and consistency patterns. Most players themselves are unaware of the reasons behind their success.
4. Personal and Physical Challenges: Their success brings increased demands on their competition schedule taking a toll on athletes, both physically and mentally. Very few professional athletes in India have a mental preparation plan to keep them focused, help them with clarity of thought and process stressors on and off the field.

A study published in February 2020 found that athletes categorise a task using a four-tier system: high challenge, low challenge, low threat and high threat. Once fear has hijacked a player’s thought process, every situation is classified as high threat. When they assess what’s at stake, they catastrophize, kicking the sympathetic nervous system in over-drive.

Researchers found that athletes who enter a high threat response have low levels of neuropeptide Y, an amino acid that deals with stress, and oxytocin, a neuropeptide that plays an important role in positive behaviour.

The paper "Why Some Make It and Others Do Not: Identifying Psychological Factors That Predict Career Success in Professional Adult Soccer" by Nico W. Van Yperen from the University of Groningen, focuses on identifying psychological factors that predict career success in professional adult soccer by comparing individuals who progressed into professional adult soccer with those who did not, based on data collected 15 years earlier. The study found that goal commitment, engagement in problem-focused coping behaviours, and social support seeking were significant predictors of career success.

This suggests that psychological preparedness and resilience, alongside physical and technical skills, are crucial for achieving success in professional sports. The findings highlight the complexity of athlete development and the importance of psychological support and training in nurturing talented athletes towards achieving their full potential.

The Fizzle Out Phenomena and Burnout Syndrome, much like the YIPS (focal dystonia) as seen in golf, could have neurological roots amplified by anxiety. To many of these, there exists a plethora of solutions. With the burnout rate in young athletes north of 70% by age 13, can we really afford to be this complacent?

I spent the better part of two decades in professional sport. During that time, I spent two seasons with IPL Team Kings XI Punjab. In conversations with other mental conditioning coaches and psychologists with teams, when asked about the quantum of work they had during the season, the answers were often the same - little to no importance was given to the mental and cognitive work.

A comment by Chelsea Alley of the Black Ferns, one of the best female rugby players in the world - 50% of elite athletes are fatigued.

Why am I writing about this? We seem to have forgotten that young adults turning professional in sport may have the physical and technical proficiency to compete at that level, but may require support through cognitive and mental development to be able to cope at the highest level. We operate with the assumption that physical and skill development, cognition and emotional resilience all run in parallel. This is an assumption that is having catastrophic ramifications of the mental health of young athletes.

I ask the question: with the burnout rates in young adults rising significantly in sports, are the leagues and team owners being responsible enough in exposing these athletes to a high pressure environment that is some what unforgiving without guardrails to ensure safe development? Would you roll the dice on a similar situation with your child if you knew the odds of success where less than 5%?

As always, I invite you to leave your thoughts.

Shayamal Vallabhjee

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