Genetics or environment is the question that we are always asking in terms of what makes a person truly great. Is a person born great or does his environment influence him to become that way?
Here is an interesting article that states that it isn't talent that matters in developing top athletes- it's training the brain through a process called myelination:
http://xlathlete.org/blog/articles/entry/the_making_of_talent_myelination
Much of the research in this area is not with athletes, but with other types of learning, such as academics or music. As the person learns more and more, his brain develops in a certain area to store all the knowledge he has learned so that it can be applied to future situations.
It is this brain development, through practice that causes the improvement in athletic performance. Top athletes are differentiated by the fact that they have undergone many thousands of hours of training and this has caused myelination in their brains.
The author emphasizes that athletes should be more aware of the effects of unfocused, poor quality training on their brains. By rehearsing poor technique, their brains are not developing to their full potential. It is vital that all practice be focused and high quality, avoiding bad technique.
The author's thesis is that apart from cases where the person is clearly not physically capable of performing at a high level in a sport, it is practice, not genetics that makes the champion athlete. He says that you obviously can't make a jockey into a great football player and vice-versa.
But except for these obvious physical differences, what really sets apart the top athletes is not genetics, but practice. Do lots of quality practice and your brain will develop to the point where you will be a top athlete.
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