Not a natural?

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Sept, 2004 by Frank Claps

NOT TO WORRY. Just because you're not gifted in a particular sport or fitness activity doesn't mean you can't succeed at it. With consistent hard work and a positive attitude, you can overcome a lack of athletic DNA, suggests a survey of 17 Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) athletic coaches. The coaches ranked self-motivation head and shoulders above other traits--including ability--as the most important attribute of a successful athlete.

After identifying 37 traits important to athletic success, the coaches were asked to rate the contribution of each trait to overall performance. They were also asked to rank 10 athletes from their teams on each of these traits, on a scale of 1 (consistently below average) to 5 (considerably above average).

According to the coaches, self-motivation was overwhelmingly the most significant factor in athletic accomplishment. Self-confidence, mental skills, emotional stability, ability and character also ranked high. "These findings suggest that athletes who work hard are rewarded for their efforts," says psychology professor Darhl M. Pedersen, PhD, coauthor of the study.

--Frank Claps, MEd, CSCS