Have you ever watched a rugby match on television? If you look closely at the players before they kick the ball, you might see something very interesting. One famous star always stopped and joined his hands together like a prayer before every big shot.
That legendary player was Jonny Wilkinson, a famous English athlete who won many games for his country. People often wondered why he made such a strange pose on the grass. He explained that this habit helped him calm his breathing when he felt nervous under massive stadium lights. He wanted all the energy from the center of his stomach to travel smoothly down into his kicking foot. When he stood that way, his hands naturally lifted up together in front of his chest. But he did not stop there with his strange tricks. He also played fun games inside his head to keep his mind sharp. Sometimes, he imagined a huge, hungry mouth opening up between the two tall posts. Other times, he pretended an imaginary woman was sitting in the crowd holding a tiny soda can. He told himself to hit that exact can every single time. These funny mental pictures made the real target feel much easier to hit during important games.
Wilkinson showed everyone that thinking clearly is just as important as running fast. His unique habit helped make him a world champion, and young fans still practice his classic stance in parks today.
