THE ART OF WAR APPLIED TO COMPETITIVE SPORTS

Abstract

This article is an adaptation of Sun Tzu's interesting and quirky classical masterpiece “The Art of War” (2005) to high-level competitive sport. Specifically in team sports. The author teaches us the strategy to wisely apply the knowledge of human nature in moments of confrontation. It is a strategic treatise that, extrapolated to the playing fields, offers a unique paradigm of improvement and effort. It turns out to be an advisable manual for the figure of the sports coach. The objective of this article is to present the relationship between the elements involved in
the battles of war and in sports battles, so that the ingredients of war are transferred to sport, and from a psychological perspective, it provides a way of seeing competition, of facing challenges, of performing at the highest level, of trying win... of
achieve victory. The essential contents to achieve the objectives in sport are based on the aspects that Sun Tzu collects in his military treatise: strategic criteria; In the battle; the planning; the order; the force; Empty and full; The struggle; variables; maneuvers; the land; the nine kinds of parties; the provision of information; the attack. The conclusions reached in this adaptation are, among others, that the coach must strengthen his authority and mark a disciplinary line, which means organization, chain of command and logistics. Also, select the brave to attack, the careful to defend and the intelligent to communicate. The skill in the lineup will determine the strength of the team. Likewise, the coach must be provided with information for the planning and organization of a good team, so that he finally knows that it is not enough to know how to attack, but it is necessary to know how to prevent others from attacking you.