The bronze medal game of the GB Men's Wheelchair basketball was, as expected, fast paced and USA took an early lead. USA made the GB men work really hard in offence and the outcome was they struggled to get good shooting positions.
So 10 points down at half time - could GB get their heads sorted to get back in the game? The start of the second half was fast and furious. The GB team generated great momentum with a few early scores on the board and within five mins were back to only one point in the game - so exciting!
The key thing at this point in delivering world class performance is the ability to nail that momentum to gain clear blue water. At this key turning point in the game it appeared there was a fragility in the belief of the GB players whether they could really do it and then USA made some great turnovers and put the ball in basket when it really mattered. Simultaneously GB made some errors under pressure, poor passes, catches and didn't put baskets away. The game was lost.
I am left reflecting on how important it is to never lose belief that you can do it and keep fighting to the end as Andy Murray demonstrated in the USA. The GB coach and the conversations they had at half time obviously really shifted their mind set as well as tactics they needed to implement.
The ability to create and then maintain momentum at key turning points in the game (or at work) seems a great skill to have - how if something doesn't go right do we stay individually and collectively focused and keep focused on the basics, the things we can control? I believe personal resilience is critical and the coach (leader) can play a vital role in creating an environment where they can make mistakes and not freeze.