Why are boxing rings square? Why is the foul pole fair?

These questions illustrate the contradictory and paradoxical nature of sports.

A paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true. After Steve McKinney broke the world downhill ski record he said, "I discovered the middle path of stillness within speed, calmness within fear, and I held it longer and quieter than ever before. Whenever I think about paradoxes, I recall Muhammad Ali's heavyweight title fight against George Foreman in Zaire, Africa. Who could have thought that a boxer could win by inviting his opponent to hit him, the more times the better?

Ali's strategy seems as contradictory as the idea of going over a high jump bar upside down. Dick Fosbury turned his back to the bar before jumping over it at the Olympics in Mexico City and won the gold medal. His innovative "Fosbury Flop has been used by almost every high jumper since.

Sports is always changing. The jump shot changed basketball. Metal woods, an oxymoron, have changed golf, and oversized racquets have changed tennis.

Just as games change, athletes must be willing to make changes and adjustments. This isn't always easy. You have to be willing to get worse before you can get better.

Let's examine seven of these paradoxes:

Less can be more. Sometimes the highest form of action is inaction. Athletes require rest and recovery time. Without it, they become stale, burned out and more susceptible to injuries.

The harder you try to get into the zone the further away you get. Train hard, but then let the performance flow naturally. Don't try to make something happen. Just trust your stuff and let it happen.

Trying easier can be harder. Many athletes put too much muscle into their performance in an attempt to create power. Oftentimes, over-muscling is self-defeating. Remember the golfer's prayer: "God, grant me the strength to swing easier.

Slowing down can make you faster. Pace instead of race. Be quick but never hurry.

Fear of failure makes failure more likely. Fear creates tension and affects coordination and rhythm. The chances of success are diminished. Oftentimes, a team that puts together a winning streak becomes pre-occupied with not losing. Once the streak end, players breathe a sigh of relief. "Now we can start over and concentrate on winning one game at a time.

A step backward is a step forward. Sometimes you have to get worse to become better. Tiger Woods stepped back when he retooled his swing. He and his coach, Butch Harmon, believed that in the long run Tiger would become a more consistent and better player  which he has.

The probability of getting the outcome you want increases when you let go of the need to get it. The more you want to achieve a goal, the more expectations you place upon yourself. Greg Norman may want to win The Masters too badly, which, some theorize, is the biggest reason why he hasn't, despite coming very close. Give yourself permission to win, but then let go of the idea of winning and focus on execution and the process.

Understand the paradoxical nature of sports. Learn to play in the gray. Sometimes you have to get worse before you get better.

This story was written by Gary Mack and was originally published in the May 2002 issue of Student Sports Magazine.