TEAM SPIRIT: Reflections on the Rescue in Thailand
By
LETÍCIA CAPURUÇO and FLÁVIO REBUSTINI
Over the past few days, the world followed with
apprehension the drama of the 13 young soccer players that were stranded in a
cave in the north of the country.
After the relief of finding them, came the anguish of the
rescue. How to do it? The boys, in addition of being weak for days in an
inhospitable environment, without food, had no experience diving. Some of them
could not even swim. However, they had their 25-year-old coach with them.
According to the Associated Press, he spent time as a Buddhist monk and had
experience with meditation.
By FACEBOOK/EKATON
"Teens are social creatures, and having friends with them, as well as
their coach, was a tremendous help," said David Spiegel, a professor of
psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University's medical school.
A good leader can turn experience into "an adventure as opposed to a
challenge." Having a sports background certainly contributed enormously to
the success of the rescue operation. In sports practice, for example,
self-control, psycho-regulation and resilience are developed. In fact, their
organization and control were so important that helped the divers find them.
The divers, said that the first clue
they had was the "smell of people" as they approached the boys.
" "Following it, they also saw lantern lights," he says. Patient
and strategic, the group managed to save battery and made their equipment work
for more than nine days ... "(UOL, 07/07/2018).
This behavior shows the high technical capacity and
preparation of the divers and the high organization of the group of boys and
their coach.
In this scenario, the capacity for resilience arises,
which is the capacity to adapt in the face of trauma, threats or stress. It can
be described as the ability to "recover" from a difficult experience.
Most children and adolescents demonstrate resilience after a traumatic
experience. This is especially true when trauma is a unique event. While some
people may have higher levels of resilience than others, it is a characteristic
that can be learned and developed. "For resilience in general, the young
people who will manage to overcome challenges in spite of the difficult
circumstances are the ones who have someone who is unyieldingly and
unconditionally by their side and keeps them in pursuit of high
standards," said Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, a specialist in adolescent
medicine and co-director of the Center for Parent-Adolescent Communication at
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told ABC News. Ginsburg is also author of
"Building Resilience in Children and Adolescents," published by the
American Academy of Pediatrics.
Keeping the athletes
in high standards is the first goal of a coach with the team.
Overcoming threats and stress is part of an athlete's
daily life; being it a senior or a beginner. In addition, athletes have a high
level of self-determination. In the cave, one by one, the boys were equipped
with 5mm thick diving suits and face dive masks. They were told to remain calm
while two divers prepared to drag them through the dark waters and guided ropes
that had been put into place. None of the children, ages 11 to 16, were strong
swimmers, let alone competent divers. To reduce the risk for the boys and
divers, the boys were sedated. This was important because the boys were
malnourished and fatigued and probably
would not have been physically finish the course.
But they were a team and had
social support. They knew what it was to have a goal, which meant working
together and trusting each other. "They were together," said
Lertvirairatanapong, inspector of the Ministry of Health. "What people
tell us after a rescue is that it is easier to persevere if one is part of a
group and has hope." The inspector also said that the boys took good care of
themselves in the cave. They remained hydrated drinking water from the
stalactites (CHANNEL NEW ASIA, 07/07/2018).
In sports, we call this group cohesion, which is a "dynamic process that is reflected in
the tendency of a group to unite and remain united in the pursuit of goals and
objectives" (CARON, 1999). It is well
known that cohesion improves communication, reduces conflicts, increases
motivation, develops respect and mutual trust and helps to strengthen the
team's goals.
In order for the rescue to be successful efficient
communication was essential. According to one of the first responders "the
success of the operation depended on how they could communicate the situation
to the children ... You have to tell them exactly what the situation is because
they need to understand that this is a difficult process that will require
patience. Probably a lot of patience. "
We know that there’s no effective results in the sport without effective
communication and clear and explicit rules. That's how they conducted the whole
rescue.
Experienced divers said that they
"did not imagine the difficulty of training these kids to dive using any
equipment let alone bring the equipment through
that environment." The rescue was supposed to occur in 4 months,
but the possibility of new storms and increased flooding in the caves made them
anticipate their plans, teaching the boys how to breathe in masks with oxygen.
The complexity of planning the operation and the
experience of expert divers in inhospitable environments can not be ruled out.
And even extremely experienced divers have problems, as it did one of the
divers, who was left without oxygen and died.
Therefore, there is a need for a high physical and mental preparation of
professionals. They are comparable with elite athletes, with physical and
mental training both being important for performance.
It may seem strange, but when we visualize success, it becomes more possible to
succeed at the task - at least mentally. Michael Phelps’ coach used this
technique with the athlete - record holder of the Olympic gold medals. The
champion would imagine himself swimming perfectly, creating in his mind all the
details of the movements of each part of the body moving in the water. Arms,
legs, neck ...
For Lertvirairatanapong, the relative good health of the
group comes from the care of the team's coach, Ekkapol Ake Chantawong, 25, who,
in addition to being a born leader, is a former monk. It is a good bet that the
boys survived the experience in the cave, both physiologically and
psychologically, partly thanks to meditation. While it is likely that you or I
will never find ourselves in such a situation, we all have places in our lives
where we feel trapped and uncertain about our destiny. I think the triumph of
these young teens has something to teach us about how we face the anguish of everyday
life.
"Make the most of your lives. Be good people, be a force for the good for
your country, "said Rear Admiral Apakorn Yuukongkaew, commander of the
Thai Navy's SEALS unit, in a message to the boys before boarding a flight from
Chiang Rai.
Sources
GINSBURG, Kenneth R .; JABLOW, Martha M. Building resilience in children and
teens: Giving kids roots and wings. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005.
CHANNEL NEW ASIA. Thai boys survived by drinking water from stalactite
formations in cave: Doctor. Available at:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/thai-cave-boys-survived-drinking-water-stalactite-formations-10496336.
Accessed on July 11, 2017.
LETÍCIA CAPURUÇO - Psychologist and specializing in Sports Psychology at
Estácio University.
FLÁVIO REBUSTINI - PhD from UNESP / RC and Coordinator of Sports Psychology
Post at Estácio University
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