Athletes perform physical works of art that please us aesthetically and often times we view them in an immortal light. We marvel at their superhero like capabilities wishing and wondering what it would be like to possess such physical prowess. Whether it be a freakish 7-footer who can touch the top of the backboard or a quarterback who can run a 4.3 we are enamored at their elite sets of athletic gifts. Too often though we look past an important dimension in sports that can't be measured tangibly; intangibles.
Some athletes have the stuff inside that will fill you up even if the outside isn't pretty. Others are just a pretty shell with a hollow inside that will leave you wanting more.
You know how they say it's all in your head? Well, there's some truth to it. An athlete can have all the phyiscal abilities in the world, but if their head isn't in the right place those physical gifts can go for naught. Take a look at two examples; Michael Jordan and JaMarcus Russell. Both players had elite physical tools coming out of college. Jordan was a high flyer with top end speed and acrobatic aerial manueavers. Russell was a hulking quarterback with a howitzer for an arm. One became legendary and the other vetted to legendary bust status.
The difference between Jordan and Russell was their mental game. Jordan had arguably the greatest mental make up of all time. His work ethic, competitiveness and leadership were second to none. Russell reported to camp overweight, had a bad work ethic and had listening comprehension problems.
Ask any general manager or scout what they look for in a prospect and they'll tell you that the mental side is just as important as the physical side. They grade on potential, but they also grade on the players' ability to get to their potential and that is where the intangibles come to light.
In professional sports the athletic playing field evens out. Prospects who dominate from youth to college solely on their phyiscal talents will struggle because they've never had to adapt their games. In professional sports the level of athleticism is elite across the board. There are some freaks of nature, but relying on phyiscal talent will only get most players so far. The great ones expand their games to compensate for their weaknesses. They develop different aspects to counter what will be thrown at them in the professional ranks.
There are some exceptions to this rule. LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Calvin Johnson and Michael Vick possess athletic traits that no one in their respective sports can rival. However each of these players also had to evolve. LeBron had to work on his outside shot, free throws and defense. Dwight Howard had to develop post moves and gain strength. Johnson had to work on his route running and blocking. Vick had to become more of a pocket passer by developing his accuracy and footwork. None of these players were able to skate by solely on their phyiscal gifts. It took the intangible side to get where they are today, which involved work ethic and commitment.
When we look back at recent monumental draft busts such as Ryan Leaf, Kwame Brown, Eddy Curry, Lawrence Phillips and Charles Rogers, what do you notice? All of these players had immense physical talent, but were head cases off the field. I know I'm stating something fairly obvious with those names, but this is why general managers and scouts look at the intangibles as well as the tangibles. Give me a guy who will maximize his potential over a guy who will never reach his ceiling. I perfer the overachievers to the underachievers.
Next time you are grading a prospect look past the tangibles and delve deeper into what you can't see on paper. Look past their phyical capablities and ask yourself if you believe they are going to reach what they are truly capable of. Ask yourself if this player possesses the work ethic, commitment and leadership qualities that you'd want on your team. Make sure that player possesses the stuff inside to maxmize their abilitiy; the right stuff.
No comments:
Post a Comment