When teams near the end of their season they begin to think about what they can do to improve the team for the next season. Most often it is about recruiting or buying players who can help them become a better team.
The articles addressing this aspect can be found in most every sports newspaper. They range from “Free Way is Costly” (San Diego Union Tribune, November 25, 2015) to “Prospects Good for NFL Scouting” Los Angeles Times, November 28, 2015). In addition, the topic of player selection can be found in most sports TV programs and on the internet.
The gist of everything discussed is not only about the availability of players, but include statistical compilations of how well they are performing. The amount of media space given to the availability and selection of players shows the importance that teams place on scouting, drafting and buying players.
But yet, teams talk about player development as a major function of the team. If this is so, why is there so much emphasis on scouting, drafting and buying players? More than likely what they mean by player development is not improving the player’s ability to execute the skills of the game, but giving the players an opportunity to play to see what hidden talents they may have.
In other words, teams believe that player talent will be displayed as the players are tested or continue to play more. However as is well known from scientific research and practice, this is a myth! Players do not have any “hidden” talents.
Players may have the potential for certain activities depending upon the ratio of their slow and fast twitch muscle fibers and physical structure. Thus some athletes may be more predisposed to certain sports activities if their genetic makeup allows them to execute the skills of sport more easily.
For example, if the athlete has a predominance of fast red twitch fibers, he may be faster and more explosive in running and jumping. If he has a predominance of white slow twitch fibers, he may be better at endurance type activities as for example, cross-country running, long-distance cycling, skiing etc.
Notice that the key words here are may be faster etc. in other words, it is not automatic that the player will be a better performer. He only has the potential to be a better performer. The bottom line is that he still must train to develop the potential that he or she possesses.
This fact has been dramatically shown in many sports. For example biopsies were taken of two world-class sprinters to determine their ratio of muscle fibers. One of the women had 70% fast twitch fibers and the other only 40% fast twitch fibers. But the sprinter with only 40% fast twitch fibers was able to beat the sprinter with 70% fast twitch fibers!
This merely substantiates facts that were already well-known in that the determining factor in sports success lies in the training that is done. It accounts for over 70% of the athlete’s success while only 30% is attributed to genetics. This is why there are many examples of athletes who do not have the same genetic abilities but because of their training, can outdo genetically gifted athletes.
Thus it is not “in the genes” as many coaches will have you believe. These coaches still believe in myths and until they are replaced by young, open-minded, better- educated coaches, we will see many athletes with great potential never reaching the success that would be possible if they had the right training.
See Build a Better Athlete for more information on this topic.