BACK IN THE DAY… WITH STEVE PARRISH

One bloke who’s been about a bit is Parrish. We got chatting to him about how it was back in the day and whether head training even existed.

FB: Was there sports psychology in your day?

SP: “Not as far as I was aware, and I know Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts and all that sort of crew didn’t… there was no such thing. If you’d have seen one, they’d have said you were mad! I didn’t know anyone at any level who used a sports psychologist to look into your head to try and sort you out. All we had was a surgeon who put you back together if you got hurt.”

FB: If you were in a bad place, how did you get back out of it?

SP: “I guess you just lived within your own little team of people. The only psychology would have been from your mechanics, or anybody involved in the team really… it was a ‘get out there and do it’ sort of thing. You really needed to have the trust in your team around you, and I believe that made a big difference. I always made a big effort to look at the people I was working with. Another way was to work yourself a little bit harder, maybe run a bit further, or train a bit harder – that was the way to battle any issues with your form. I always told my girlfriend at the time that a good shag would help the mentality for the weekend and lighten the load… I don’t think it really helped, but they didn’t need to know that!”

FB: Do you think there was less pressure in your day? No social media etc. to add the burden?

SP: “I guess social media does add an element of pressure in today’s world, but all I ever got was ‘go and do your best’ and such like. Well, it’s not like you’re going to go out and do your worst, are you! It always made me laugh when I heard that. I never really got any pressure from anyone because I always knew what I was capable of and what I expected of myself, and so personally, whatever anyone said to me (and it was only via talking since there wasn’t any social media), I don’t think it ever affected me.

FB: How important is psychology to racers?

SP: “Fabio Quartararo openly said he felt he was mentally weak and that he needed something, and clearly whatever he’s done seems to have worked, doesn’t it? In my day, to start with, nobody did any training until the Americans came over and then we all started, and I think the same applies today; if somebody has a sport psychologist and does well, then everyone has got to have one... just like if you’re sat on the grid and you don’t have the best tyres or exhaust pipe, then you feel you need that. I think the same applies to your training levels, whether that be mental or physical. If you’re sensible, then you’ll look at everything that’s available to you, whether it be in the machine, the equipment, your diet, and your training… you have to look at whatever is working at the time and do your best to emulate it or at least try it out.”