2/1/06

Talent & Genetics

Athletic success at the highest levels of sport are obviously based on talent and genetics. It has been my experience that talent and genetics get you there, but with rare exceptions it is those athletes that have a detailed plan that stay there. One off success is one thing, sustained excellence is another. An example that comes to mind is Edwin Moses the two time Olympic champion in the 400 meter hurdles. In his long career he certainly had many challengers equally as talented but he was able to defeat them all because he had a plan and stuck to that plan. The plan was his plan and it worked for him. It probably would not have worked for someone else. The difference is the plan and the execution of the plan.

1 Comments:

At 2/2/06, 7:57 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The plan is important, but I believe greater then the plan is the psychological makeup the greatest athletes seem to possess. Walter Payton is a classic example of a talented individual who was able to maintain a level of excellence few have been able to match. From what I understand about him, he had incredible discipline and drive and yes a great out of season conditioning plan.
I heard a sports psychologist say once that there was almost no difference in physical talent between Joe Montana and a third string NFL quarterback. But there was a huge difference between Joe Montana and almost all other NFL quaterbacks psychologically.

 

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