Thursday, October 28, 2010
Overconfidence
The other day in class we talked about overconfidence. Overconfidence can be a bad thing as in the case of the Boston Red Sox during game seven of the Ameriacan League Championship Series. Both starting pitcher Pedro Martinez and manager Grady Little fell to overconfidence and eventually lost what could be considered to be the most important game of their lives. Pedro told his manager that he was not tired and was overconfident in his ability to get the opposing Yankee batters out. Grady Little showed overconfidence in his pitcher and allowed for him to stay in the game instead of making a move to the bullpen which could have won them the game. Pedro gave up a couple of hits and gave up the tying run. The game was eventually lost in extra innings. Their overconfidence led to the greatest defeats of both their careers. As a player it is good to be overconfident in yourself because it makes you a great competitor. In the case of the manager, it is bad to be overconfident because it is his duty to make decisions that put emotions aside and give his team the best chance to win the game.
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I don't believe it is necessarily a good thing that a player is overconfident. Sometimes when a player is overconfident, they feel they don't have to practice as hard as the other players and as a result are less prepared for a game. While being a good competitor does require confidence, overconfidence can actually be a downfall of many players. Every player should practice as hard as they can preparing for the most difficult competition; therefore, when they enter a game, they will be prepared for anything. Often times overconfidence leads to lack of preparation.
ReplyDeleteI do not think overconfident is the best way to approach a situation. When a person is overconfident, the substantial amount of time and effort they would put in to completing a task, under normal circumstances, is diminished. Just as Kristen Greiner said, "every player should practice as hard as they can preparing for the most difficult competition" one should look at every situation in that way whether it be a test or a baseball game in order to be fully prepared.
ReplyDeletei think that it would be better for a player to be more confident in his ability then under confident. If a player lacks confidence it may lead to hesitation during the game and will hinder his ability to perform. If a player is overconfident, granted he may misjudge some situations, but he will still be playing to the best of his ability. confidence is a vital part of performing to the best of ones ability.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that overconfidence can ruin an outcome to a game. But what came to mind first for me was the Patriots two years ago. We were 16-0 going into the Superbowl. We had the perfect season and the Patriots seemed careful not to get too overconfident. When they went into the superbowl thinking they were going to win, the giants didnt have the amazing record we did. Needless to say, we lost. You see this happen all the time in sports, coaches tell their team, when facing a weaker team, to not become overconfident because you never know what is going to happen. you have to go into everything with a neutral attitude.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the idea of overconfidence hindering the performance of a sports team. I have seen the effects of this firsthand. Last year I played against the number one ranked junior a hockey team in the northeast. Most of the kids on the team were NHL draft picks, and my team was a middle of the pack team. At the start of the game the opposing team was clearly overconfident and did not take us seriously at all. At the end of the game we ended up beating them 6-2. Their overconfident attitudes clearly affected them in their abilities to fully complete. Being underconfident isn't necessarily good either as you will not perform to your full potential. Finding a happy medium between the two will allow you not only in sports, but also on other aspects of live to be successful and perform at your full potential.
ReplyDeleteI agree with overconifdence as well. In school it is the same thing. For me sometimes when I feel good about an exam or quiz I took, I will either do well or fail it. The over confidence I have creates a false sense of satisfaction. This is overconfidence is brought back to underconfidence when I recieve the grade. You have to have confidence in your ability. People get into trouble when they think they have studied so much and know everything and feel like they dont need to anymore.
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