"Do, or do not. There is no try" - Yoda, 0BBY
Personality represents the common characteristics that shape an individual’s pattern of behaviour. Personality is developed over a lifetime as a result of our ongoing social interactions; however, common behaviours form what is referred to as one’s character. The personality traits of an athlete will determine the rate at which they acquire new skills and how well they can apply them. For example, athletes who are enthusiastic, reliable and determined will be more likely to apply themselves to training and preparation than those who are lazy and unmotivated. Even at elite levels of sport, coaches target athletes for their positive attitude as well as their raw talent.
The heredity of an athlete is the major factor that determines their potential to succeed. These are the psychological characteristics, physical attributes and biology that are passed on from the athlete’s parents. It is not uncommon for elite athletes to have parents and/or siblings who have also been highly successful at their sports. Such characteristics as height, body shape, limb length, personality, intellect, games sense and much more are directly impacted upon by one’s genetics. However, while the athlete can inherit many wonderful qualities from their parents, it is important for these qualities to be nurtured. Simply being born with natural sporting talent is no guarantee of sporting success. The environment in which the athlete grows up, the access the child has to skill development and the hard work the athlete is willing to put in can all either help or hinder what genetics has provided.
Confidence develops through prior success, and represents the belief that a person will succeed. To be confident, an athlete must strike a balance. An athlete who believes they can achieve something difficult is far more likely to succeed than the athlete with self-doubt. For this reason, confidence is critical to the acquisition of new skills. Athletes must believe they can complete the skill autonomously, even before they actually can. It takes supreme confidence to believe in one’s ability even when things like learning a new skill are difficult and seem unattainable.
Prior experience is another factor that will influence an athlete when learning a new skill. It involves a transfer of learning. An athlete who has already sampled something similar will have physical skills that may be transferable, and confidence that they can use their prior experience to accelerate their learning curve. A good example of prior experience and its influence on learning new skills is diving. Many Olympic- level divers have been gymnasts for many years. Gymnasts already possess a mastery of their movement, and can easily flip, tumble, turn and contort their bodies into the necessary positions for success in diving. There are many examples of elite athletes who have changed sports and succeeded in transferring their skill base. Prior to winning the Tour de France, a road cycling event, Cadel Evans was a world champion cross-country mountain biker.
Ability represents the athlete’s performance. How well can the athlete take all the different vskills and apply them in a competitive arena? An athlete with high levels of ability (often inherited) can consistently acquire the new skills faster. An athlete who does not possess the natural ability will need to work harder and demonstrate greater determination if they wish to succeed. For example, cricketer Sir Donald Bradman not only attained the established skills of batting more easily than most, but revolutionised new skills that his contemporaries tried to emulate.