hard work and determination or natural ability

[Witkop]

Seeing as most of us are past our physical prime what if we take it to the absurd and use something like darts or croquet or lawn bowls where there is probably no genetic or age advantage. If you try to achieve the benchmark of 10 000 hours to become world class then you could practice three hours a day every day and complete that within ten years. You might not be the number 1 in the world but you would definitely win a few tournaments by then with so much hard work behind you assuming that you have trained yourself mentally to deal with pressure as well.

 

Now if you had started riding at the age of 6 you could have acheieved those 10 000 hours easily before you reached your physical peak. You would not be lacking in skill and it would be up to you to train and prepare yourself as much as you physically could. Maybe the stars align and things work out for you on a particular day or maybe they don't and you remain a top 30 journeyman but it certainly wouldn't be unachievable as long as you didn't suffer from any significant physical defect.

 

I think we do have a national croquet team so if any of you are still desperate to get your national colours.... Just tell people you played for the Proteas and change the subject before they ask which sport.

 

chose a small sport, but unfortunately they don't give national colours to age groupers any more. Something about National Olympic commitee wanting to keep the elite athletes happy.

[DIPSLICK]

Famous words of Gary Player : The more I pracktise, the luckier I get..

I WOULD LOVE TO BE AS LUCKY AS THE LEGEND

[Escapee..]

Hard work will take you to the top but talent will only bring you to the door

[Wyatt Earp]

Famous words of Gary Player : The more I pracktise, the luckier I get..

 

Does he really use the word "pracktise"

[Gadgetman]

Jip, I will practice my spelling..

[Escapee..]

I live my life a quarter mile at a time

[Andrew Steer]

Seeing as most of us are past our physical prime what if we take it to the absurd and use something like darts or croquet or lawn bowls where there is probably no genetic or age advantage. If you try to achieve the benchmark of 10 000 hours to become world class then you could practice three hours a day every day and complete that within ten years. You might not be the number 1 in the world but you would definitely win a few tournaments by then with so much hard work behind you assuming that you have trained yourself mentally to deal with pressure as well.

 

Now if you had started riding at the age of 6 you could have acheieved those 10 000 hours easily before you reached your physical peak. You would not be lacking in skill and it would be up to you to train and prepare yourself as much as you physically could. Maybe the stars align and things work out for you on a particular day or maybe they don't and you remain a top 30 journeyman but it certainly wouldn't be unachievable as long as you didn't suffer from any significant physical defect.

 

I think we do have a national croquet team so if any of you are still desperate to get your national colours.... Just tell people you played for the Proteas and change the subject before they ask which sport.

I've got a mate that is what I would call a "co-ord", as in not talented at all beyond simple physical things - put him on a bike or ask him to run a marathon and he's a machine, but his co-ordination would never allow him to compete in those sports you mention. As an example he played tennis for a couple years quite seriously, coaching the works, I'm a squash player - within two months of playing with him once a week I could beat him at tennis (and I'm terrible) - you need a basic skills set!

 

On the other side of the spectrum I have another mate who is just good at everything - hockey and rowing at a junior national level, great at soccer, squash, cricket, tennis... flip, anything he has played more than a few times. Put him in your 10 000 hours programme and yes you will get a serious competitor.

[Guest Karma]

I live my life a quarter mile at a time

 

Ask any racer, any real racer. It doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile; winning's winning.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Karma

[Andrew Steer]

Seeing as most of us are past our physical prime what if we take it to the absurd and use something like darts or croquet or lawn bowls where there is probably no genetic or age advantage. If you try to achieve the benchmark of 10 000 hours to become world class then you could practice three hours a day every day and complete that within ten years. You might not be the number 1 in the world but you would definitely win a few tournaments by then with so much hard work behind you assuming that you have trained yourself mentally to deal with pressure as well.

 

Now if you had started riding at the age of 6 you could have acheieved those 10 000 hours easily before you reached your physical peak. You would not be lacking in skill and it would be up to you to train and prepare yourself as much as you physically could. Maybe the stars align and things work out for you on a particular day or maybe they don't and you remain a top 30 journeyman but it certainly wouldn't be unachievable as long as you didn't suffer from any significant physical defect.

 

I think we do have a national croquet team so if any of you are still desperate to get your national colours.... Just tell people you played for the Proteas and change the subject before they ask which sport.

Phil Taylor the darts Kingpin only started playing at 26... winning titles withing a year and World Champion within 4 years. Obvious talent for the game

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/more-sports/reasons-why-darts-legend-phil-taylor-is-a-world-class-sportsman/story-fnii0hmo-1226774178537

[Andrew Steer]

I WOULD LOVE TO BE AS LUCKY AS THE LEGEND

He went to a really good school with a proud tradition of producing great young men...

[V12man]

Birth date is a similar concept to second child. At school I was born in the first half of the year and therefore placed with boys sometimes almost a complete year older than me. Net result is you are always competing with someone older and stronger

 

<sarcasm>thats why I am such a phenomenal athlete now</sarcasm>

 

Of course - the school year doesn't always follow the calendar year.... certainly when I was a rugrat, the cutoff was midyear.

[jcza]

Phil Taylor the darts Kingpin only started playing at 26... winning titles withing a year and World Champion within 4 years. Obvious talent for the game

http://www.courierma...o-1226774178537

 

I'm not convinced that darts is a sport.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

He went to a really good school with a proud tradition of producing great young men...

 

Did they change to Co-Ed for your year?

[V12man]

He went to a really good school with a proud tradition of producing great young men...

 

I also went to such a school.... I am hoping it will produce a great old man....

[SwissVan]

Would never have guessed

and it all starts to make sense...

 

Yep, that's us only childs....100% genuine and no genes split and shared with other brats...

 

Hmm, too bad tone of voice doesn't come across in print. Try reading the "It's just DNA" the same way you would say "It's just a scratch..." If that helps. I wasn't saying it was it was the only factor. However, I did say it's the biggest factor (IMO, of course).

 

Ok I hear you now

[The MTBer]

Dan Atherton

 

http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/bike/stories/1331657599714/dan-atherton-enduro-mtb-mountain-bike-mental-training