A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology examined what separates the world’s most elite athletes, the “super champions,” from what the study called the “almost champions”—those who were once good enough to compete with the best, but ultimately fell short of reaching the highest levels. It turns out that the answer is not only more complicated than a combination of talent and work ethic. It also has applications that go far beyond sports.
This article gives a nice explanation of the study’s findings, but here are a few that stood out to me as being particularly applicable to high school students and their parents.
Follow your interests.
From a young age, the super champions loved their sports–not just competing, but also practicing. Interestingly, they also did not focus on a single sport at a young age and instead were encouraged to try different interests. The almost champions loved competing, too. But practicing? Not as much. And when questioned, they remembered feeling forced to pursue their sport
The goal: get better.
The “super champions” cared most about getting better, and they judged themselves against their own past performances. But the “almost champions” cared more about rankings and how they compared to their rivals. That focus on external benchmarks and constant comparisons leaves the “almost champions” more likely to get discouraged and give up.
Supportive, but not obsessive, parenting.
The parents of super champions didn’t push or get overly involved, and instead were happy to cheer from the sidelines both literally and figuratively. But the parents of the almost champions were “an ever-present factor, hovering over their every move.”
What if you pursued activities you genuinely wanted to do and worried less about whether or not those choices will help you get into your dream college?
What if you focused more on learning, making an impact, and just getting better, and less on whether those qualifications will get you admitted to an Ivy League school?
What if you stopped comparing your GPA and other qualifications to those of your friends and classmates, and instead just tried to be better than past versions of yourself?
And parents, what if you stepped back and allowed your kids to commit to things they genuinely want to do? What if you let them find their own way even if it meant they will make (and learn from) mistakes? And what if, instead of hovering, strategizing, and otherwise turning their high school years into a career that you oversee and manage, you stepped back and cheered them on, ready to lend support and advice without jumping in?
Sounds like the makings of a super champion.