Athletes have the desire to be the best they can be. They have the desire to dominate their sport, whether it be football, soccer, baseball or any other. They all share one thing in common they have a burning passion for their craft. Athletes find the skills to be successful and use them to their advantage. So I pose the question are athletes born or made? I believe athletes are made, not born because it takes willpower, sacrifice, hours of practice and determination to become one.
Each of us is born with a multitude of gifts, and some just don't realize it. From the very first day of our existence, we are bound to do something great. However, gifts are useless without hard work. There is little doubt that the genes we are born with are a crucial piece in the performance jigsaw. Individual genes and traits are said to be directly linked to a strong performance in a particular sport. However, you don't need to have the "performance gene." There are many elite athletes without the identified gene, and they still manage to become the best at their craft. The same happens vise-versa with many people carrying the "performance gene" that have no apparent athletic ability. It is not to say that genes don't have anything to do with becoming an elite athlete but through hard work and determination, the skills are refined and made stronger. Meaning that practice is indeed, without any question and any hesitation, the number one predictor of how good somebody gets at anything.
It takes an immense desire and willingness to become great. Without practice and the desire to work hard, their skills would be useless. An athlete should possess will and determination to succeed in whatever pursuit he or she undertakes, as well as leadership skills and the ability to look at others on the team for guidance. Elite athletes are not prone to thinking they know it all and are most certain to take advantage of learning what will make them better at their game. The elite athlete is fearless and approaches any situation with a must win attitude, however if winning is not achieved, the athlete is not likely to see this as a setback. Instead, it serves as a reason to learn from the mistake and improve their game. They also possess the determination to overcome road blocks and obstacles because they understand the bigger picture as well as the importance of practice and constant hard effort in excelling through sacrifice and taking action. Sometimes practicing six days a week, six hours a day or more is only one of the small sacrifices they must make. Training makes a difference, whether following the 10,000-hour rule or simply figuring out where one is strongest and weakest, it all pays off in the long run.
