Читать книгу The Performance Mindset - Anthony J. Klarica - Страница 25

It is evident, then, that there are many different paths to becoming an elite athlete. An important 2016 paper suggested that in contrast to Ericsson's deliberate practice framework, in which linear sporting progression through time spent in practice is inferred, successful athletes follow complex, non‐linear, individualised routes to the top of their sport.¹³ They must adapt to anticipated and unanticipated developmental opportunities, setbacks and a range of transitions as they progress. The authors also noted that athletes who achieve a high level are differentiated by positive, proactive coping and a learning approach to challenges.

As alluded to, I have witnessed many individual paths to competitive arenas. I've worked with athletes who were early starters and progressed through the ranks, those who have had interruptions and late starters. What has enabled them to achieve their sporting goals has been a commitment driven by passion, outstanding support and an investment in mindset to deal with and learn from the challenges experienced on their journey. These are some of the factors that have enabled continued progression towards goals.

Matthew Syed, in his book Bounce: the myth of talent and the power of practice, emphasises how the power of practice, environment and mindset helped him become a British table tennis champion and Olympian.¹⁴ He recounts that a combination of circumstances contributed to his laying a foundation of many hours of playing table tennis, but that mindset was a key ingredient to his progression. He also admits that he had powerful advantages not available to hundreds of thousands of other youngsters. ‘What is certain,’ he writes, ‘is that if a big enough group of youngsters had been given a table at eight years of age, had a brilliant older brother to practice with, had been trained by one of the best coaches in the country (who coached nearby), had joined the only 24 hours club in the country, and practiced for thousands of hours by their early teens, I would not have been number one in England.’

When Matthew was 19, one of the greatest players in table tennis history, Chen Xinhua, from China, moved to England and became his coach. Matthew's new practice regime bore no relation to what he had seen or experienced previously, or even imagined. This ‘quirk of fate’, as he describes it, contributed to his ongoing development and fuelled his passion to strive harder.

Sometimes luck plays a role in sporting success. Meeting the right person at the right time may be all that is needed. Not working with a particular coach can be attributed to bad luck as much as bad choices. Working with a coach who has faith and is supportive can be due to luck or choice. It's a fine line between the two. Picking up an injury that limits opportunity can be just bad luck rather than bad management. A talent scout watching a game or event that happens to produce a standout performance is the kind of good luck that can go a long way to launching a sporting career.

These studies and stories emphasise that there is no single path to development. Playing a variety of sports at an early age to build engagement and enjoyment, maximising motivation and early development of mindset, is likely more important than is typically appreciated.