SPORTS December 26, 2005 Issue

TEN PERCENT LESS WORRY

MARK SWINNEY

"WORRY IS LIKE a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but gets you nowhere."

So said famous Australian Rugby League coach Wayne Bennett in a post-game radio interview last year on The Sports Factor. I think Bennett is right. Whether you're an athlete or not, worry is an awfully unproductive form of thinking. I know that when I've sat down for a while in the rocking chair of worry, nothing good has ever come of it. It just seems purposeless. It's a bit like the saying, "Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday."

As I look back on the sporting year 2005, with its colorful cross section of athletes' performances—wins, losses, and near misses—I can hardly imagine hardened pros doing much worrying! People like Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong; the up-and-coming golfer Michelle Wie; US Open tennis champion Kim Clijsters; or Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo. Do they really worry about anything?