Deliberate Practice
While the question of what separates elite from superior or very good athletes still remains controversial, there is extensive evidence to suggest that optimal athletic performance has less to do with inborn talent, innate intelligence, or experience, and more to do with what researcher Anders Ericsson has termed–– DELIBERATE PRACTICE.
Overview of DELIBERATE PRACTICE
- A specifically structured map of learning that addresses an athleteʼs “growing edges” – designed by an objective, unbiased expert in the same sport
- The learning map must center around what requires improvement
- An athlete commits to remaining mindfully focused on these growing edges
- Deliberate Practice involves high repetition of critical skills
- Provides immediate feedback to an athlete about their performance by objective coaches
- Deliberate Practice must be mentally and emotionally challenging: gradually taking the athlete outside of their comfort zone and habits
- There must be a willingness on the part of the athlete to stay in activities that are not necessarily fun
There are many factors that contribute to world-class athletic performance. Factors such as childhood history, current life circumstances, and plain luck are beyond the athleteʼs ability to control. However, DELIBERATE PRACTICE provides coaches and athletes mindfully structured pathways to attain elite status and consistent peak performance
