Athletes Are Not Born Great, They Are Made Great Here’s How

The old way of thinking was that you were either born with natural athletic talent or not. If you did not possess natural talent then you were relegated to the bench or stands. We now know better. You really begin to gain your athletic ability as soon as you start running as a child. If you’re a kid that ran and jumped all the time when you were a toddler and continued as you grew older, you’re probably a better athlete than a child that did not. Todd Marinovich was raised basically from birth to become a NFL Quarterback, and he did make it to the NFL. There are many articles and videos showing the workout sessions he did showing how he became a great athlete. I would say the only difference may be a child born with two highly trained athletes as parents. In fact there is a well known Speed and Agility revolution happening.  The extra time spent on speed and agility training, is that which separates starters from bench warmers, scholarship athletes from walk-ons.

What do Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice and David Beckham have in common besides being world-class athletes?  They all include or included speed and agility training as an integral part of their workouts which helped them reach the top of their sport.  We are all born with athletic talent, but speed exercises and agility drills give us the edge on our competitors who just rely on talent. Michael Jordan always said being in top physical shape helped his basketball skills, “I just feel that physically I’ve got to be in the best shape possible to be able to do my job.”  Both experts and the athletes themselves agree that the adoption and practice of speed and agility training extended the careers for Jerry Rice and Michael Jordan.

Speed and Agility Defined

So what exactly is speed and agility? Speed is the ability to cover distance rapidly. Nearly every game requires fast movements of either the arms or legs.  Leg speed is tremendously important in sports such as football, soccer, basketball and baseball.  Speed exercises and agility training can improve leg speed in sports.

Agility training focuses on fast changes of direction and footwork while maintaining balance and control.  Agility is a combination of speed, balance, power and co-ordination. Agility is necessary for almost any sport as it increases a player’s reaction time.

The next time you are watching Kobe Bryant’s incredible agility, strength, and stamina on the court, know that it is not simply all God-given talent.  Kobe works really hard, during the off-season on strength, agility, and speed exercises.  He is considered to be one of the hardest working and physically fit players in the NBA. He has the MVP’s and rings to show for it…