Some kids can just run out there onto the baseball field, and look like they have been playing the game forever. We know that is not true, however.
What if talent really is something else. What if it really is just massive amounts of practice. Hitting balls in the batting cage, over and over and over again. Throwing and catching over and over and over again.
That is the debate going on in our latest parenting blog.
To help us out, we talked to Larry Christenson. He won a World Series Championship with the 1980 Phillies. He offered up his thoughts - and a few knuckleballs. (WATCH INTERVIEW ABOVE)
Perhaps you have read the book "Outliers: The Story of Success" by journalist Malcolm Gladwell. It talks about how successful people almost always have some sort of advantage in the beginning, and almost always practice for thousands of hours at their craft - 10,000 hours to be exact.
One of the advantages he talks about when it comes to youth hockey and youth soccer players is being born in the beginning of the year. Since the cutoff date for each age group is on January 1st, youngsters who are born in January, February and March tend to have a size advantage over those born in December, November and October.
Gladwell offers several examples. The frequency of those earlier birth dates among elite hockey and soccer players is stunning.
Here is a link with more information on "Outliers".
Here is what some of our friends on our Action News Facebook page are saying about talent and practice:
Christina Berry Haas Bendel: "I think it's a combination. But I will also say that no matter how much you practice, if the child doesn't have some natural ability in the sport, they won't get as far as another child with more natural ability."
Sue Gabage O'Hara: "80-percent talent, 20-percent practice. My son plays baseball and hockey. After baseball season ended in september, he hadn't picked up a bat or ball until March. The kid's been hitting them to the fence and has had countless doubles, triples and RBI's. As for hockey, he is 13 and made the u16 AA midget minor team. Not bad for not skating for a few months."
Christine Reigert Thomas: "I think that the practice is the most important part of playing and participating in any sport/activity. With practice, children can increase muscle memory for a certain activity/movement, increase reflexes and improve the quality of the skill."
Tracy Cassel Bernard: "So I saw practice, practice, practice; you are learning skills at practice; lots of kids have hidden talents, so you have to let them try everything. Be supportive!"
Kelly Hyland Spanier: "Both - I think my son has natural talent and has been a good ball player since he started four years ago. I also see how much he's improved by the end of each season (of course we're on our third team in four months - never enough baseball for him at ten!)
Nancy Brooks De Kok: "I don't think some parents know when enough is enough. It's also the fact that I want my child to have fun. Part of it is coaching. Teamwork is important too. I also agree that the child should finish the season. There is the commitment to the team.
Tell us what you think!
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