Factors that make winning athletes

THIS article is inspired by re-reading the book “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell and watching the Lomachenko-Linares fight last Sunday.

What goes into winning? Are winners born or made? The truth is that (from a sports science perspective) winners are both born and made. Malcolm Gladwell asserts that succeeding in life is often a result of being born to the right parents, right environment, at the right time, under the right conditions, with the right opportunities. Although I don’t agree with everything written in the book ( 10,000 hours for example), he is right for the most part. Winners are both born and made. So how are sports winners built?

1. The right set of parents

More often than not, you need the right biological make-up to succeed in your chosen sport. You need the optimal height, proportions, visual acuity, limb lengths, etc. to be good in sport, especially at the highest levels.

2. The right environment

Malcolm Gladwell asserts that having been born in the 1930s (time of the Great Depression) is a positive trait, since fewer children were born then. Therefore, there was less competition for the prestigious schools. Similarly, athletes either benefit or are disadvantaged by their environment. An environment offering more opportunity to play and practice their sport, surrounded by a culture that supports the sport, breeds winners. Case in point is Norway, a small country that reaps tons of medals during the Winter Olympics. Why? Because of the snowfall in Norway, winter sports athletes get to practice most parts of the year.

3. Coaching

You can have talents but you need the right people to hone and maximize your talent. Looking at sports, there’s always a Phil Jackson to a Michael Jordan, Gregg Popovich to Tim Duncan, Freddie Roach to Manny Pacquiao, and Angelo Dundee to Muhammad Ali. The list goes on.

4. Mindset, GRIT and toughness

To succeed in sports, one must have a positive and growth-filled mindset. Then there is also the importance of grit, the ability to persevere though the odds are stacked against you, and toughness and resiliency.

Oftentimes, in sports, we only think of a singular factor that contributes to success. Little do we know that it’s all of these things that make or break an athlete.