Redefining greatness.

We live in an era where training an elite athlete or developing a championship team requires more than simply talented, hard working players and coaches.

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The gap between being very good and being great is much narrower now and this calls for a professional approach to identify and develop performance at the elite level.

Names like Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, and Sidney Crosby raise the following questions. How did they achieve such excellence? How can these athletes be so mentally tough in the face of the world's best competition and consistently rise above all others to win over and over again?

In order to address this question, let's look at the five factors affecting performance at the elite level and make some suggestions to young aspiring athletes regarding biomechanics, cognition, physiology, sport specific skills, and intangibles.

BIOMECHANICS

To play any sport well, experts indicate that it takes 10 years (or 10,000 skill-based efforts) to become effective at a specific sport skill. Let's look at the position of an ice hockey goalie, for example.

To be able to perfect the "butterfly" style requires expert technical feed back from a goalie coach as well as attendance at some of the proven goalie schools at great expense to parents.

To perform at the elite level requires coaches who not only have high levels of certification and years of coaching experience, but also life experiences that allow them to deal effectively with athletes, systems, and programs.

It's not just as simple as practicing skills over and over again to attain mastery; athletes must also have the proper guidance and support in order to develop in a way that will take them to the next level.

COGNITION

I remember a university coach calling me in regards to a potential scholarship candidate (NCAA) at an Independent prep school where I was the athletic director.

The gentleman said that he would only ask me one question about my athlete, "On a 1 to 10 scale, please rank your athlete as to how coachable he is?"

The school representative went on to clarify what he meant by coachable: Overall attitude, work ethic, desire, intellectual capacity, and competitive ness all wrapped up in one personality.

My response was that he was a 10. This athlete went on to receive a $200,000 scholarship to a U.S. university after being ranked first in North America out of 104 applicants.

Starting with a positive attitude is so important for success and cannot be stressed enough. Athletes with a decent skill set, decent talent, and a coachable attitude; is in a better position than the athlete who is very skilled and very talented but does not have a coachable attitude. Too many athletes see the negative perspective before any other options.

PHYSIOLOGY

Someone once said, "To determine if an athlete will become a champion, you should always go and meet the athlete's parents." In other words, genetics contribute to an athlete's success.

While this may be true, there are so many other physical attributes that are necessary today to be the best. Look at the advancement of the fitness industry and all the latest sport-specific tools available to train the human body. Some examples include:

1. Treadmills where hockey players can actually wear their skates on the treadmill to mimic the exact muscle memory of the skating skill.

2. Mobility tools like the use of the "big ball" to develop the core (abdominal strength). BOSU balls for balance and plyometrics.

3. Tubing for resistance training and partner exercising.

The strength and conditioning field has advanced to what many call exercise science or Kinesiology, the study of human movement, and can elevate an athlete beyond their genetic makeup.

SPORT SPECIFIC SKILLS

The area of coaching expertise and certification while being able to impart proper technical skills with clarity and effective descriptors can be the difference between developing a good athlete and a great athlete.

The NCCP (National Coaching Certification Program) is an excellent resource for all levels of coaching in Canada. Every coach at every level of play should have some form of certification.

INTANGIBLES

It's no mistake that superstar athletes are equated with possessing a tremendous work ethic. How did these athletes develop this drive and determination in their game? Where does that will to win, that drive to succeed come from?

Without question, a common thread is parental support. Research has proven that a mother and father are the greatest influence in a child's development.

Another factor is one's environment during youth development. Many quality sport schools around the world have opened, training student-athletes in sport-specific areas that may give them the edge.

Florida has some great tennis academies. Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota is a hockey factory with a Center of Excellence in three sports. The list of sports academies is growing every day. Many great athletes have excelled without such schooling, but these training environments do produce premier results.

Our world today is operating with the attitude that sport is regarded as a science. I would recommend doing your own research on any of the above disciplines to enhance the development of your child.

Always ask a lot of questions. Try to train with the best available tools. Find a coach that has advanced their own education in the field of Coaching Studies.

Should you have any questions you can reach me at: [e-mail]

By Kirk De Fazio, Athletic Director, Brandon University Brandon, Manitoba, Canada