Are Athletes Born or Made?

Sunday was a special day for my family as my wife gave birth to our second baby boy. While I was in the delivery room and watching our son come into the world it made me think about a question I have pondered for many years and that is are athletes born or made? And yes I am one of those guys who in any situation can find a way to make it about sports!!!!!

As I thought about this question I thought about players like Michael Jordan, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky who are arguably the best players to ever play there respective sports. For instance would Michael Jordan have acheived the same level of success without certain coaches in his life? Such as Dean Smith at North Carolina. If Jordan had chosen to play at Duke instead of UNC would it have changed the outcome of his career? North Carolina has produced some of the NBA's best talent with the likes of Jordan, Worthy, Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, Vince Carter, and countless others. While Duke has Grant Hill and Elton Brand, but few others have lasted in the league or ever reached startum. Why is that? Does Dean Smith and UNC have some special formula that Coach K does not? I don't think any of us would question that Coach K is a phenominal coach. Duke is up in the top 10 every year and they have countless McDonald's All American's in there program annually. Why not the future success in terms of athletics?

Let's take a more closer look locally shall we! What about the different kids that play at different clubs around the metro Atlanta area? Is Courtney Fletcher good because she played for Jeff White at Northview? Or is she good because she played for various coaches at the A5 Club? Or is it her time at different camps or time spent with USA Volleyball? Or could it be that she was genetically coded to play volleyball at a high level and no matter who she played for she was going to be very good? So who gets the credit? I think Courtney and her parents get the credit with perhaps the most credit going to God for creating a 6'4" beast with a strong arm and coordination!!!!

From a coaches perspective I believe that athletes are born and our role as coaches are to help guide them to their potential. I believe that the coaches role is similar to a parents role in raising there kids. Our job is to give them "roots and wings!" Roots are the fundamentals. It is our job to give them a firm foundation. Wings is the character and belief that they can accomplish anything they set there heart and mind to do.

So is it possible that athletes are both born and made? Lets forget the Jordan's, Kiraly's, and Gretsky's of the world and stay more local. Lets talk about the good volleyball players in our area. There is no question that players like Courtney Fletcher and Betsy Smith are tall, have good arms, and our very coordinated on a volleyball court. They have been given a gift to play this game. They have both played for good coaches over the years both on the club level and high school level. I am sure they have both played at various camps and had contact with certain coaches that have helped them in one way or another. How bout a player like Maria Taylor who played for the Atlanta Boom and has had a great career at UGA. She like Courtney and Betsy have been given certain athletic gifts to play volleyball.

With all that has been said I believe that Athletes are born and shaped. I don't think they are made. I think Betsy, Courtney, and Maria would have been great regardless of who they played for. I think the same is true for Karch, Jordan, and Gretsky. I changed the word made to shaped because I think life experiences, family, coaches, peers all have an impact on an athletes life. I don't think playing for the Coach K's of the world or the best clubs is what makes you great at your sport. I think it is a combination of the gifts that you have been given and the life experiences that you have that shape your character that help drive you to be the best. I beleive we all help shape those around us, but the responsibility lies on the athlete themselves to acheive there most wildest dreams.