Have you ever been let down? Disappointed? Dejected?
Here’s the story of a brilliant young rugby player, Mathew Tait, who won his first cap at 18 years of age. He played ok. He was described by Mike Catt as “the future of English rugby”. BUT THEN, SURPRISINGLY, HE WAS DROPPED after that first game (against Wales). His dream was destroyed. His bubble burst. How did he pick himself up? How do you pick yourself back up after a set-back? He eventually came back played brilliant rugby, winning 38 caps. Here is his amazing story……about what happens when you get kicked in the teeth…..how to get back up on the horse…
‘Yeh cannot see past the disappointment’
This is an intimate chat with Mathew Tait in Leicester Tigers Rugby Club. Mathew admits that at first, after you’ve been dropped, ‘Yeh cannot see past the disappointment’. He is also not too proud to recognise that sometimes you can’t fix everything on your own. Sometimes ‘You need a little bit of help in doing that.’
In summary, here’s Mathew’s 6 Tips if things go wrong for you:
- REMEMBER, BEING DROPPED, DOESN’T SUDDENLY MAKE YOU A BAD PLAYER.
- KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING (don’t give up)
- IT’S OK TO SEEK SUPPORT FOR STUFF
- TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY
- FIND THE REASON WHY YOU ARE PLAYING IN THE FIRST PLACE (remember you enjoy your sport!)
- KEEP DOING THAT (keep playing).
Mathew Tait went on to win 38 caps for England between 2005 and 2010.
So which one of Mathew Tait’s 6 Wise Tips match the Chicago Cubs coach, Joe Maddon’s wise words above? The Cubs had waited 108 years to win the World Series (baseball) and to help his players avoid too mention pressure or tension, he uttered these immortal words above.
–end–
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Thanks to Petar Cvetkovic for inviting me to Leicester Tigers. Thanks also to Mathew Tait.
Love it, great story and fair play to him for bouncing back and getting that many caps for his country!
Yes he’s no spring chicken and seems to be very cool and calm and serious. He’s a caring kind of guy. Watch this space.
Matthew stuck in there, his persistence was rewarded with another opportunity to show his class, In a highly competitive sport a lot of single cap players dropped below the selection radar
Yes indeed Phil. Ollie Campbell was dropped after his Irish debut for 3 years! Fortunately he never gave up and went on to become the world’s best outhalf.
Fascinating story just goes to show you that perseverance pays off you have to stick at it such is the mark of great sportsmanship
Chris
Yes Chris – gritty determination required to ‘get back on the horse’. The ultimate tough perserverance in rugby, for me, is a Canadian player. A young lady, Lindsay Hilton, plays for Halifax Towers in Canada. She has no properly developed limbs. It is an extraordinary story. Check it out. https://tinyurl.com/a6ujsmmn
It was always a tough call putting him up against Gavin Henson, and them dropping him when he was outperformed was very harsh. More a criticism of the England management than Tait himself. Went on to be a really nippy runner. Good lad!
Yes Paddy he was a classy player. I remember Henson dumped him into touch. But I still thought Tait’s debut game wasn’t that bad. Shocked when English coach dropped him.