While the reliance on the technology for gaining a competitive edge in sports has become a very common phenomenon, many people still believe that the true spirit of sportsmanship lies in the sportsperson’s mental fortitude and personal pursuits. I am of the opinion that both heavy investment in cutting edge technology and the individual’s capabilities, both play an important role in a sportsperson’s pursuit to success. Through this essay, I would like to determine how each factor is crucial.
Technology pushes the barriers for improvements. It can help athletes delve deeper into unexplored territories for making tweaks to their performance outputs. Athletes are able to gain a competitive edge through data analytics, specifically designed sporting equipment which enhances overall gains the athlete is seeking to attain. This can be done via various ways such as the materials used for clothing, equipment for assistance, data analytics of the opponents common attack and defence strategies, dietary studies for maximum energy output of the body, and also in some cases, methods to reduce or gain weight quickly. Technology can assist in various fashions in the sporting world. Hence, it’s extremely crucial for countries to invest in such endeavours. Moreover, the penetration of technology into our daily lives is so deep that we cannot live without it becoming a major factor in driving decisions.
Even though technology is required, it can only assist the individual to a certain extent. Remaining effort has to come from the sportsperson. The athlete needs to follow a certain set of guidelines to allow his body to adapt and change as per training. In many ways, mental fortitude enables or discourages athletes from pursuing their defined paths because of dilemmas and doubts; which could range from doubting personal capabilities, losing hope and accepting defeat based on preemptive perception of the opponents results. Afterall, sports are not only a physical game but a mental one too. Athletes are not only fighting a physical battle with their bodies but are also fighting a mental one for which they train and practise for hours together. They also go through rounds of defeat in order to eventually gain enough experience to compete at the pinnacle of sporting events.
In conclusion, though technology is an inevitable reality which many sporting guilds use to their advantage to attain a competitive edge, we must also not forget the immense struggles and perseverance athletes have in order to reach the zenith of their sporting guilds.