Dina and other elite athletes represent the pinnacle of human physical performance. By definition, not everyone has the potential to become an exceptional athlete. However, many high achievers appear to have certain genetic, physical, and psychological features. They are usually young when they first begin competing at a high level, and most have no family history of athletic achievement.
The majority of elite athletes are male. The average age at which males start training seriously for competition is 15-19 years old. Female athletes tend to start training later (average age 21-23) and may continue with their sport into older ages.
Elite athletes come from all races and ethnic groups. However, they tend to be members of one of three major categories: black, white, or other (usually east Asian). This is probably due to the fact that these are the racial categories used by most sports organizations around the world.
It is difficult to say what causes some people to become elite athletes while others do not. Perhaps it has something to do with genetics, but also environment plays a role. Elite athletes are likely to have had parents, teachers, coaches, and sponsors who have helped them reach their potential.
Some individuals may even change their life around to pursue an athletic career. For example, Carl Lewis was raised by single mother who worked long hours as a nurse.
High performance sports, often known as elite sports, are those that compete at the highest level. Similarly, while being officially amateurs, student athletes, particularly in college sports, are frequently high-performing. Many studies in sports psychology and sports medicine are driven by the requirements of top athletes rather than mass athletes. The term "performance athlete" is commonly applied to people who participate in these sports.
Performance athletes must be willing to sacrifice many aspects of their lives to achieve their goals. They usually have to deal with extreme levels of stress and anxiety during competition, which can lead to depression if they are not careful. Sports psychologists help them cope with these issues so they can remain focused in their pursuits.
Performance athletes also need to prepare themselves physically and mentally for intense competitions. They must eat properly and get adequate sleep to have enough energy for training and games. Psychologists are available to help them manage their mental stresses between practices and games.
Top athletes are always in demand by coaches from different teams. If you are a psychologist who specializes in helping athletes deal with stress and anxiety, there should be several professional opportunities available to you.
You may want to consider becoming affiliated with an academic institution or athletic program instead of starting your own practice. This way you will have access to researchers who can help drive the direction of your work and students who can assist you with research projects or cases.
Elite athletes have potential, but they also work hard to enhance their talents on a regular basis. Elite athletes push themselves throughout each session, pay attention to the details on a regular basis, and maintain excellent work habits. All of these elements contribute to great athletes continually performing at a high level.
If you want to become an elite athlete, focus on developing the following attributes:
- Desire: You must want it badly enough that no matter what happens you will keep trying until you succeed.
- Hard Work: You have to work hard at anything you want to achieve.
- Love of Sport: It isn't enough to just enjoy sports; you must love them too. This means you need to put in effort and time into your sport, because only people who are passionate about something invest their time and energy into it.
- Self-Discipline: You must be able to control yourself during times when extreme emotions arise due to sporting events. For example, if you're angry during a game, you must be able to contain this emotion so that it doesn't affect your performance.
- Memory: You need to remember all that has been learned during practice and games. This means committing it to memory through repetition and analysis of successful plays vs. unsuccessful ones.
Athletes that excel are not superhuman. They just have and use consistent skill sets that produce favorable results. They have faith in themselves and their capacity to continuously grow. They create reasonable goals, surround themselves with the appropriate people, and persevere in the face of adversity. In other words, they do everything else that would be necessary for any other form of achievement.
So, first of all, you need to ask yourself what it is that you want to achieve. Are you looking to win a single event or do you want to become one of the best athletes in your category? There are different paths that can lead to the same end-goal, so think about how you want to improve and which direction you want to take your career.
After you've decided what it is you want to accomplish, work out how you're going to get there. Do you want to focus on specific events during certain seasons? Or would you rather concentrate on building up your endurance levels over time? The choice is yours but it's important to understand why certain things may be easier or harder for you.
Once you know what you're trying to achieve and how you plan to get there, you need to set some goals. It's hard to keep track of your progress if you don't measure anything, so consider what will help you reach your end-goal quickly while also being accurate representations of your performance.