In the post on Little Messi we speculated on whether a young athlete’s success is due to passion, coaching, practice time, circumstances, or good genes. Let’s add “a combination of the above.” Maybe also “nothing in particular – it either happens or it doesn’t.”
I will be the world's best footballer - with the best hair
Now we invite your opinion. Vote here for what factor you consider the most important in this debate – and if you have other more creative ideas, send us your comments.
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This post intrigues me Abbot because I have finally started to read “Outliers” by that genius Malcolm Gladwell. Based on what I’ve read of “Outliers” thus far, I would have to say that practice time seems to matter the most. I would however add that all of the other factors you have mentioned would feed into the practice time in the making of the best, most successful, athletes and performers. Btw – I like the your selection of Cristiano Ronaldo for the accompanying picture. Ronaldo’s is an interesting story. How did he become the Best Player in the World (2008)? Well – it’s a long story – but according to his Mum all he ever wanted to be was a football player, all he ever did was play football; he played football at the expense of all else, including and especially – school. So, Cristiano Ronaldo definitely satisfied your “practice time” criteria – and then some. Now, would I – as a globe-trotting talent scout – recommend this? Would I recommend it to my own son? Hmm – good question. I’ve seen first-hand what a roll of the dice it is – becoming a pro. So few make it. And obviously – very, very few become the best in the world. Having said that though, I would say two things. First, I would say that the dream is powerful. I think that despite the odds we all want to be the best – and everything that goes with it (including the hair) – and we want to know what we can do to get ourselves closer to the promised land. The second thing I would say is that the dream is “good”. I really believe – for my own son and for the players of the world – that maybe, just maybe there is no better school, no higher education than that of trying to be the best at something. I would even go so far as to say that even those players who forsook school, have learned some lessons and life skills that they could never have learned “in school”…The dream is powerful, the dream is good…The dream is powerful, the dream is good…
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