Look me in the eyes.

It’s okay if you’re scared, so am I.

But we’re scared for different reasons.

I’m scared of what I won’t become, and you’re scared of what I could become.

For those of you who don’t know, the above is the opening phrase from a popular Nike commercial made in homage of Michael Jordan. For those of you who may not know who Michael Jordan is, well he is considered by many, alongside Muhammed Ali as the greatest athlete of all time.

Nike, the American sportswear giant, made a series of commercials in reference to Jordan, each emphasizing the importance of and sheer volume of hours Jordan and in fact all elite athletes spend training and practicing. What is the expression? Victory is earned when no one is looking.

Servette have been training since early February now, far from prying eyes, in the dark and in the cold, and this weekend in Belgium was yet one more step on this path of preparation, before this version of Servette sees the bright light of real competition and the judgmental eye of the outside world.

The advert continues and so does the voice of Jordan himself, narrating:

Look at me.

I won’t let myself end where I started, I won’t let myself finish where I began.

That there, is, in this writer’s opinion, the most important phrase in the advert and potentially sport. It encapsulates the very sense and purpose behind all those hours spent training and practicing. Progression. Being a little better tomorrow then you were last year, last month last week or even yesterday. And we know what we have to be better then.

Last season’s success has been feted, celebrated and afforded recognition to exhaustion, I dare say it has become a milestone to be worn around our necks. But alongside that it has a dulling effect, why struggle back up the mountain again, when you have been to the top seen the view and have the selfie to prove it.

Well Mr Jordan finally goes on to explain this as well:

I know what is within me, Even if you can’t see it yet.

Look me in the eyes.

I have something more important than courage, I have patience.

I will become, what I know I am.

There it is then, becoming what you know you are. As a player for Servette that means being a defending champion, ask some players who have spent nearly twenty years to get to the top of that particular mountain. That is patience. A certain Dutch assistant coach has spoken recently of the significance of being a defending champion and that the true nature of that title is the pursuit of perfection, perfection, perfection, you might never obtain it but my word you sure as hell have to try and if you don’t, well to use his words and not mine you are an as****e.

So where does our weekend in Belgium fit into this narrative, besides being a blessing to align eleven players and play hockey for the sheer thrill of playing hockey (it does remain a thrill on occasion)? Well it allows us to see where this current stage of our journey begins. Three competitive games in two days against strong sides, which produced mixed final results (one victory and two defeats) despite encouraging passages of play, left us with a lot to reflect on. Whilst physically and technically we may be more then competent, tactically and mentally there is still a lot of progress to make.

We left for Belgium with a key word in mind, Attitude, it has been lacking in training since February, however judging from the frustration keenly felt both collectively and individually during the weekend maybe that sense of suffisance that we have struggled with for so many months could be disappearing. Now however is the test of true patience, we will become what we know we are we will not end where we began. Progression, progression, progression. And along that path remember, Never a backwards step.

Patrick Montalbetti