Random House Dictionary definitions:
competition - rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser.
gamesmanship - 1. the use of methods, esp. in a sports contest, that are dubious or seemingly improper but not strictly illegal. 2. the technique or practice of manipulating people or events so as to gain an advantage or outwit one's opponents or competitors.
shark - 1. (v) to obtain by trickery. 2. (n) a person regarded as ruthless.
How does this apply to you in your sporting adventures? Basically, anytime your attention span is split between two things - your game and anything else - you are being sharked. It doesn't matter that the diversion is initiated by someone else or generated from within yourself. This kind of gamesmanship is as much a part of competition as the rules and tools of sports.
Some psychological tactics are effective in team sports and others in individual competitions. This book is written for sports in general, but when an example is needed, table billiards is the sport used.
This book provides educational opportunities. You learn what mind games are and how to recognize them. You also learn what you can do to respond or counter the effort. The book could never be complete enough to cover every possible ploy, but will help you recognize when someone is playing with your head as a player or when you see it on the playing field.
The concept of bending an opponent's mind ("sharking") has been around a long time. These have been used in nature since the beginnings of the food chain. It is so pervasive in the world that Sun Tzu incorporated it in his "The Art of War", and that was 2,500 years ago. Do you think that there were no psychological sharking tricks and traps going on at the first Olympics? These were the guys who came up with the Trojan Horse - an ultimate shark if ever there was one.
Sharking can be so subtle that you can question whether someone is affecting your way of thinking. If you spend too much time debating about it, you can assume that someone saying "hello" is a shark attempt (and it might be). Paranoia is one of the health risks of seriously studying competitive psychology.
This material describes every dirty trick someone can play on you - and how to stop them. These situations are most often observed in sports competitions. They also happen in your family, spousal relationships, friendships, work, and in business.
This book is also a primer to help you survive life. The more easily you can recognize gamesmanship, the more fun it is to counter-respond. You can even use gamesmanship to accomplish your goals. With this information, you no longer need to be the victim of someone else's ruthless behavior - you can be pro-active.
Gamesmanship has been around forever. Tricks and traps to fool others have been used in nature since the beginnings of the food chain. It is so pervasive in the world that Sun Tzu incorporated trickery and deception in his "The Art of War", and that was 2,500 years ago. Even at the first Olympics in ancient Greece, psychological sharking tricks and traps were used to distract and intimidate opponents. These were the guys who came up with the Trojan Horse - an ultimate shark if ever there was one.
However fiercely you may cling to the high ideals of upstanding sportsmanship, the reality of the world is that there are many who do not. This book is your best educational tool.
If you prefer the PDF format, it is available on the billiard gods web site. FYI - PDF can be viewed on all your smart devices (phone, tablet, computer).
