Above is a meme that circulates on line periodically. You’ve probably seen it – or at least some version of it.
Dan Abrahams has a take on this which he calls 10 things that may sometimes contribute to high performance environments and are biopsychosocially driven.
My own take is that some of these things do actually require some level of talent. I’d say that, to a greater or lesser degree, numbers 2 through 7 all require self-awareness. This is not an innate skill. It’s something athletes (and people) learn and improve at. I’d call that a talent requirement.
And both #8 and #9 require some level of understanding. What does doing a little extra look like? What does it take to prepare? These are domain-specific (e.g. preparing for a volleyball match is not the same as preparing for a math exam), which requires learning. Perhaps even some coaching.
I’d also say the environment a coach creates in the team also factors in here. It’s a lot easier to do the things on this list when you’re in a positive, supportive environment.
There’s also one last thing. Some athletes just aren’t high energy or to express passion in an overt way. We shouldn’t think of them as less good contributors because of that.
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