Imagine yourself as a spectator at a high school soccer game.  You watch as player #21 sprints to receive the ball which has been passed to her by her teammate.  She gracefully jumps up, and heads the ball directly to another teammate’s foot.  Suddenly, before you know it, there is a roar of excitement from the spectators around you because #21 has just scored yet another goal.

 Have you ever noticed, while watching a team ball sport, that the better athletes seem to be consistently in the very midst of the game?  Is this because they happen to be at the right place at the right time, or is it based on their skill?  The answer is that it’s a combination of both.  Great athletes possess perceptual motor body image (3 dimensional vision), confidence, strength, power, speed, focus and most importantly complete body control.

One element player #21 has over the other players on the field is her ability to visualize the game from a spectator’s point of view.  When she was sprinting down the field to receive the ball, she knew that in order to get the ball most effectively to the goal, she would have to head it to a player in the midfield, who in turn, would pass it back to her for the goal shot. Great athletes have a complete understanding of the space on the playing field and most importantly, understand how to use that space most effectively.  Although for some, this skill is innate, for others it can be quite easily learned through proper coaching, training and instruction.  The earlier children begin working on perceptual body image and spatial awareness, the easier it is for them to develop it.

Great athletes demonstrate a high level of confidence.  Naturally, confidence is built by success, and success is achieved by understanding the game and what you need to do to accomplish a particular goal.  An athlete like #21 enters the field knowing she’s going to execute any movement needed.  Many players will walk onto a sports arena  uncertain of their athletic abilities and aren’t able to perform with conviction.  Fear hinders coordination, quickness, aggressiveness and concentration during a game.  Player #21 however, despite whomever she is challenging on the field and their skill level, has a much better chance of performing to her highest capabilities because she believes that she can.  Belief in oneself makes all the difference in a person’s skill level on the field.

Strength, power and speed are essential elements for becoming a great athlete.  The combination of leg, core, and upper body strength enables an athlete to summate forces to an optimum level.  You can often detect an athlete who has a weak core by their poor posture and by their inability to keep their torso erect while swinging a racquet, vertically jumping, kicking, throwing, etc.  Accuracy diminishes when a throw or kick is interrupted by an unnecessary bending motion at the shoulders or hips.  When #21 jumped into the air to head the ball, she was using her strong core muscles to stabilize her body so that she could head the ball with power and accuracy to direct the ball to her teammate’s foot. Without strength, explosive power can’t exist. After player #21 jumped up high to head the ball, she absorbed his landing back onto her feet and explosively accelerated toward the goal to receive the ball back from her teammate.    

Great athletes have a complete understanding for their bodies.  This is the most important element of becoming an elite athlete and for some, probably the most difficult to obtain.  One reason is that we have relied on too many sources of entertainment during our training sessions.  How many times have we gone out for a run, and have used music?  Although the entertainment is a way for many to relax and enjoy exercising, they are not able to fully focus and stay in tune with their bodies.  Athletes need to be aware of their limitations, and at the same time, their athletic abilities.  When #21sprints down the field to score the goal, her timing is vital.  She must know how long it will take her to get to where the ball will be passed back to her and then she will need to assess how much    power she will need to shoot on goal from her position on the field.

Athletes are not born; they are made.  It is a common misconception that great athletes rely solely on their innate athletic talent.  However, with the proper coaching and instruction, becoming a great athlete is a possibility for anyone who is willing to work hard at the essentials; perceptual motor body image, confidence, strength, speed, power, focus and complete body control.  Athletes are made every day. However, it is only those who are willing to learn and work hard who inevitably become the greatest athletes.