| A series of research studies found that athletes have two differing points of view concerning athletic talent. One view is that talent is something you have or you don't have. Athletes with this view of talent expect things to come easy and tend to give up quickly when skills are hard to learn. This makes sense to them, because if it is hard to learn, then they must not be talented.
The other view is that talent must be developed through hard work. Athletes holding this view stay at tasks much longer, expect skill development to take time, and do not become highly frustrated when things aren't easy. The researchers found that this viewpoint results in much higher performance, because these athletes expect to have to work long and hard to develop their talent.
Superstars are athletes with physical talents and a strong work ethic that refines and develops talent. Although early media stories focused on Michael Jordan's remarkable leaping ability, a recent biography "Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made," focuses on something more important - hard work. Virtually every basketball coach and teammates describe him as the hardest worker they ever saw in the sport. Wayne Gretzky and Tiger Woods also shared this intensity and drive to constantly improve their special talents.
Woods and Gretzky had success as children, while Jordan didn't make his high school basketball team on his first try. Despite these differences, all three athletes worked relentlessly to improve. They never expected greatness would be easy. They didn't become frustrated by the work to develop skills, and they didn't stop working until they were satisfied that their talent was fully developed.
Training Tip
If you are talented, you can be good without working hard; but to be great, you must work hard. If you expect things to be easy, you will become frustrated easily, give up early and never reach your potential. If you expect sport to be hard, you can take pleasure in the gains you make as you do hard work. Talent is a responsibility, not just a gift.
Coaching Point
As a coach you can make this distinction by praising the process rather than the product. Try saying, "good work" instead of "nice catch." Tell an athlete that they are a "terrific worker" rather than a "terrific talent." It is necessary to reinforce the skills that take them to the next level.
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