Ash Barty article from the weekend's HeraldSun where she talks about Cotch being like a big brother to her.
MY MATE TRENT THE TIGERAsh Barty does not have a big brother, but there are times when Richmond AFL captain Trent Cotchin appears to fill this role in her life.
This much is clear from the pair’s close relationship, which extends not simply through the fact that Barty is a Richmond tragic, but because they both work closely with mindset coach Ben Crowe – a key member of Barty’s inner circle.
The athletes first met a decade ago, when Barty was based in Melbourne. They would run together, watch each other train, and she would go to Cotchin’s house for dinner with his wife Brooke and kids, she reveals in memoir My Dream Time. And the bond remains strong.
“Because he is an exceptional human being he has this sense of knowing when I need a mate, when I need a coffee or a text,” Barty told News Corp. “He has this incredible ability to uplift people and lead people and be funny and joke around and lighten things up.
“He has been so kind to me. It’s pretty amazing. As athletes we can share our journey.”
At key times in her career, Barty has found texts from Cotchin the perfect tonic, especially after her biggest disappointments.
“He tends to send messages that go like this: It was a tennis match. You lost. Get over it. No big deal. I love you, mate,” Barty writes in her book.
One example of Cotchin’s ability to send the right message at the right time came after Barty was shattered by a 2021 Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Karolina Muchova after winning the first set 6-1 a break up in the second set.
“Right now, I feel judged. She’s thrown it away. She’s screwed it up. She’s choked,” she writes. “Cotch knows how easy it is to hear those voices, so he replaces them with the affirmations he’s found in football.
“One of them is ‘You haven’t been buried, you’ve been planted’, but my favourite is his personal mantra: ‘Your greatest growth comes from your darkest times.’
“In this dark time, he sends me a long text, explaining how he was able to watch me play until late in the second set, when I was faltering. So he didn’t see the collapse, but he read about it later.”
“The text read: “Ash, I know nothing will really help, nor change anything, as you have all the answers, and you know it doesn’t change the incredible human you are and the impact you’re having on others.
“I’m proud of your continued growth! I’m grateful to watch and learn from you on how to be a special and authentic human being! Love you, mate! Chat to you soon.”
https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/tennis/ash-barty-book-extract-australian-tennis-great-reveals-how-she-overcame-body-image-struggle/news-story/5919bf0ab793fc9780a06d0138f0e9f3
