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What makes a great athlete? Is it the biggest, fastest, and strongest person? Is it the smartest person? Or is it something else? There is a lot of people that can fit one of these traits. A ton of people are big. If you work hard enough, anyone can become strong. There are many people that can be fast. The better you know your sport the higher you IQ will be for that specific sport. If most of these a possibility for people than why are there not very many athletes at the elite level? Which brings up the question. Can you build a good athlete or are you born a good athlete? Sure it helps to have natural talent but just because your not the best natural athlete doesn’t mean you can’t be the best athlete. In the world today the person that works the hardest wins. I see it everyday in the gym. You see people that come in the first day, the first week, the first month and you can’t help but think what is this person doing here. They are weak, not coordinated, not an athlete. I see people that are athletes too but are weak and don’t work hard. All i can think is what a waste of talent. A lot of people quit and give up. Whether they are horrible or they have a ton of natural talent.
I thought a lot about this and finally realized something. Whether your extremely gifted with natural ability or you have none at all, if you don’t try, or give up, then you are not an athlete. The people that push themselves, those are the athletes. You work hard and you never give up then you become an athlete. The longer you stick with it the better you become.
A great athlete is talented yes but also has the best work ethic. It is not about how big you are, how strong you are, or how smart you are. It’s about how big your heart is. Working with what you got and never giving up.
If you want to be an athlete, then you have all the tools you need inside you. Thats where it starts and if you stick with it, you will see the improvement

 
“A great athlete is talented yes but also has the best work ethic. It is not about how big you are, how strong you are, or how smart you are. It’s about how big your heart is. Working with what you got and never giving up. “
 
Love this!  Well said
 
You have to be well rounded… You have to have some form of talent, good work ethic, motivation,n drive passion confidence and will power… You have to be strong mentally and physically!! The mind can overpower the most talented person in the world…
 
If you don’t have all these qualities then you will be just an average athlete… Not a world champion/Olympian…
 

Rob this is all very true my friend, I love this.  Its all about the heart and the motivation, if you wanht it go take it!   “the world is yours”!  -scareface    lighyt weight!!    Its good to have you on hear, wow this sport of weightlifting is really growing in this country!   we need more athletes in this sport like yourself. 2012

Jon the sport is growing and hopefully it will keep growing. Athletes like you are what we need in this sport. People that lift the big weights and are fun to watch. It is great to see you get the crowd into your lifts. Keep it up

are you lifting at the Arnold?  anybody else on this site going to be lifting at the Arnold?  2012 

I will be at the Arnold. Planning to put up some big numbers there. Show everyone i’m the real deal! Will you be there?

This is a great post Rob… IF you have this kind of mindset you have to make sure you beat those “natural” athletes that don’t work very hard and are still awesome! haha I hate those guys… Just saying, gotta make those guys work for it a bit!

What makes a great athlete: Being over to overcome adversity as well. Well - being fast, strong, and quick are all also assets of a great athlete!

thats interesting comment mike.. please give more detail abotu this.. examples?

Michael Jordan - cut from his HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM…Goes on to be the GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALL TIME, and arguably the greatest will the world has ever seen.
 
Dan Gable - was an undefeated high school wrestler, went undefeated in college til his final match, and lost. His ONLY loss in high school or college was his VERY LAST ONE. He was completely devastated. Went on a few years later to walk through the 72 olympics in the most DOMINATING fashion ever, not giving up a SINGLE point to an opponent. Never been done before, will never be done again.
 
Tom Brady - Wasn’t really recruited out of high school. Went to Michigan. Was 7th on the depth chart as a freshman. STarted as a junior. As a senior he got benched multiple times for a FRESHMAN. Was drafted 199th OVERALL in the draft. Nobody even wanted him. Now is arguably the GREATEST QB OF ALL TIME. 3 Super Bowl Rings, 1 18-1 Season (only team to ever go 16-0), 1st EVER unanimous MVP Award in 2010.
 
These are examples of guys who used their failures to fuel their fire. Instead of whining and crying about it they used it to push thme farther than they had ever imagined. They all ended up being the absolute greatest they could become - but their careers all TRULY started after they suffered some form of adversity. It caused them to look in the mirror and decide to run or to fight. They all chose to fight and became legends in the making. Those are guys to look up to. There are all kinds of athletes who have been 5 star recruits who go on to be studs. But, for most of us THESE guys are the ones to look up to. They decided THE FIGHT WAS WORTH IT!!!

GREAT POST Pete!! it really makes you think about setting goals in life..
 
It so crazy to think that michael Jordan was CUT from his highschool team… look at him now!!!
 
sometimes peopel need that little drive/push.. You have to be a dreamer and set goals no matter what people say to you…
 
 

 
Well, don’t look at him now LOL. At least not in terms of being a great family man (cheated on wife, etc).

But you are absolutely right. MJ is an absolute beast. And, always will be because he BELIEVED IN HIMSELF!!!!

its such a shame these role models just cant seem to keep their  life together.. do they really think they wont get caught??
 
They pretty much throw away everything they worked so hard for just for that one night stand.. i just dont understand it..
 
I know they have a crazy lifestyle with girls throwing themselves left and right.. but is it really worth to throw away YEARS of work??
 
Why these stars just man up and get a divorce first!

It is one of those things that I just can’t even try to relate to…For the sole reason that SO SO SO many stars do get caught cheating. We always have temptation, but they seem to act on it so much. I DO NOT JUDGE because I am not in their shoes, tempted with that same temptation.

 
I guess it is their  Environment and people they are surrounded by…
 
Stars have a different mind set, they can pretty much get anything they want (clothes, cars, house, and jewelry, vacations ect) they are used to getting what they want with no restriction… Being married restricts them from many things and they are not use to have restrictions…
 
It’s such a shame that so many celebrity couples split up or get divorced…
 
I guess it’s just embedded into their personalities once they reach that fame (obviously not everyone) …
 
Also, maybe it’s also a sign that money and fame does not bring happiness…
 
 

So true - I completely agree. You have some great points there. It just is a shame because they are SUCH role models to everyone.

i know it really is a shame..However i wonder if these stars put them selves out there.. there are many famous people that stay LOW key so i know it possible.
 
I think certain stars crave that attention and put them selves in the public eye

What makes an athlete is WILLPOWER!! Somebody’s willpower is what separates average athletes from great athletes. Everyonbe will encounter failure, adversity. However, not everyone picks themselves up and moves on. “Fall seven, stand up eight.” You just have to keep on plugging away. It is rarely about who is the most talented, but moreso who wants it worse and who is willing to SACRIFICE MORE to get it.

You can’t measure the size of someone’s heart.

 
 
Mike i love this! great comment! not everyone has it in them to be a great athlete.. it really take a special personality to make it to the top.. its not all physical.. you have to be mentally trained and prepared

I completely agree with you there. I find the psychology of top level athletes to be very interesting. I always try to listen to interviews of the GOAT of each sport. Greatest OF All Time. Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Serena Williams, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, etc etc etc. I just really try to take something out of each athletes mindest and their approach to their sport. I Always pick up  alittle line or a mindset type thing that really helps me move forward with my own endeavors.

great topic!
 
what have you learned from them..
 
what is their mind set and goals they have??
 
I dont think i have ever listened to an athletes motivational speach.. what makes them stand out mentally?  
 
 
 

It has to be vision. These people are excellent for looking forward and preparing for each step. Failing and succeeding. Not fear driven but loooking at the competition as a challenge to be overcome.

thanks jim!! that is great insight! i really think it takes a special person to obtain these qualities..
 
 
do most athletes have these qualities??

the best do.

 
Do “most?” No. I think maybe, MAYBE 25% out of all athletes possess those qualities. Those are the ones that rise to the top. The rest are there - but - they are never really factors or major contributors for that very reason (they don’t possess those qualities).

A simple and over used example is Arnold. There were other guys as good as he was physically or better but he possessed an attitude or a way of competing that set him apart from even the pro’s, Shawn White, Lance Armstrong, Again the bvery top is small for a reason.

YEP!!! Jim you are soooo right on… alot has to do with attitude!
 
Just like Derek jeter… he is great not only because of his records but his attitude and motivation… great way to put it.
 
What is your favorite athlete with great attitude and drive???
 
I like Derek jeter and the grandy man! On the yankess!
 

I am just shocked when I think about how much time Michael Jordan must have put in to become how great he was (given he was cut from his high school basketball team). How much fire and drive must he have had to spend all day every single day (probably literally) to accomplish that? Then to try to be able to recreate that pasison and drive for your own sport… May seem hard but you just can’t accept “no” as an answer.