Subject: 22nd of June 2008 and Dani Guiza.
Until the summer of 2008, the Spanish Football National team
was never able to lay the ghost of the quarter-finals.
They were playing well all the way to the quarter-finals,
and once in the quarterfinals getting defeated.
Getting defeated due to different reasons (or excuses):
- the pressure of the match
- bad preparation
- fear of failing …
In the end no matter the excuse,
the team always dropped out of the competition in the quarter-finals.
Something happened in 2008.
The Spanish team was facing the Catenaccio of the Italian team.
(If you are not a football fan,
Catenaccio is basically playing defensive waiting for one chance to score)
To the surprise of no one,
the match ended 0 – 0.
Time for the penalties.
This is important,
remember the Spanish team, historically was barely making it to the semi-finals.
What happened in the penalties?
All the Spanish players scored their goal in the penalty shout-out.
All the players,
except for one.
That one player who missed the penalty was Dani Guiza,
a player who was more known for dating a celebrity,
and with little experience in international matches.
The difference between the other players who scored,
and Dani was that the other players already had international experience.
They “were used to” being in similar situations and failing.
Until one day they delivered.
That day was the 22nd of June 2008.
The same happened to Dani,
he failed against Italy.
As the saying goes “Behind every failure, there is a lesson”
Do you know what happened in the next match?
Yes.
Dani Guiza scored the goal against Russia,
grating the ticket to the final for the Spanish team.
Football and public speaking are not very different.
You can take many penalties during your training camp,
but you will never be able to replicate
how you feel when taking a penalty in front of 50,000 people.
The same with your public speaking skills,
you can practice your speech many times at home,
but you will never be able to replicate how you will feel delivering a speech in front of your audience.
If you want to take penalties in front of your audience, and get feedback.
it is here and here.
If you are in Warsaw,
it is here.