Yesterday, I had the pleasure of watching the worlds #1 squash player, Ramy Ashour, play in an exhibition match in Redmond, WA. As I got to see true excellence, I wanted to share my thoughts on what makes someone the worlds #1 in something. Here we go. First, there is no substitute for hard work. Invoking Edison here. Genius is, indeed, 99% perspiration. Ramy mentioned that he practices three times a DAY. It sounded like each session was 2-3 hours long. Second, they absolutely and deeply love what they do. Ramy was talking about the limitless possibilities of the squash court. In particular, they discussed how Hashim had invented a new shot just last year. It is, by the way, an awkward duck- racket goes left and the ball goes right. Third, there is a playfulness about them. Ramy was constantly joshing with the referee about scoring and lets. Similar jousting with his brother. It was clear that they approach their work with joy. Cue intrinsic motivation and flow. Fourth, they embrace pain. Ramy mentioned that he had his first knee surgery at 13! He talked about the joy of coming back from these setbacks. He underscored the idea that it is a roller coaster- there are ups and downs for the top players as well. Fifth, they respond to pressure with excellence. In response to a question, Ramy talked about a state of mind where one accepts the situation without spending mental cycles on asking why one is in the situation. He talked about the clarity that danger brings to him. Sixth, they see ahead of their opponents. Ramys brother talked about how he sees the ball before his opponent. It seems that he is getting quickly to the ball. Rather, it is more of looking ahead. Seventh, they relentlessly innovate even though they understand that failure is a reality. I was surprised to see how often Ramys shots hit the tin. He was trying all kinds of shots. Not everything worked. He really did not care. I am sure all my friends will have other thoughts to add! :-)
Posted on: Sun, 08 Jun 2014 15:15:39 +0000
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