How Do You Become a Champion?: growth comes in many forms

     I worked on a variation of this theme several years ago but I have since recognized that I limited the article too much. Growth does come in many forms and usually, within someone who excels at their activity, that growth happens in different directions and forms.

     First, let me put forth MY definition of a “champion”. A champion, in my opinion, is someone who has claimed their activity, made it part of themself, and does their best at it. It doesn’t necessarily require trophies or ribbons or accolades although those may come along for the ride. I think of the many people who compete, and excel, in the Special Olympics and recognize that those games are filled with champions.

The Basics are the Foundation

     When I was small (around 6 years old, actually somewhat late), I started to learn to play the violin. (My wife gifted me a violin not that many years ago, with the goal that I might try to pick up the skill again.) At the beginning, I was horrible as is almost everyone (prodigies excepted). I slowly learned and my family stopped blocking their ears. In a few years, I was able to be part of a school quartet. Not a master, by any means, but acceptable.

     The same thing happens in any other field. In drawing/painting you must learn the tools and techniques. But, once you have learned, you can create new techniques and use new tools and old tools in new ways. I had an instructor at the University of Idaho 50 years ago who earnestly felt that each of us should find our way without preconception. Perhaps that approach does work for some. Not for me. With rising frustration (and poor grades), I dropped the class (for the first time in my life) as it wasn’t worth lowering my Grade Point Average and be frustrated at the same time. (I did ask the teacher if I could continue coming to the class in case I might learn something.)

     Every star athlete starts at the beginning. There are differences in basic abilities, possibly genetic and possibly subconscious environmental influences. But even with a higher level of basic ability, they start at the beginning. Then they learn. For an athlete, there is the need to develop the strength, the reflexes, the automatic analysis of the situation, and so forth. They learn all of these (if not, they don’t reach the level of excellence). How do they do it? Well, there are some things that can be learned from books, some from coaching, a lot from observation, but … It all comes down to

practice, practice, practice.

     And that is true for them all.

To Infinity and Beyond

     So, talking about how a person gets better and, eventually perhaps, great, just what happens to the person? Why, and how, do they become great?

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     When I started to learn to play violin, I had to learn a number of different things. I had to learn how to read music — how to connect the written notes to musical notes. I had to learn finger positions and bow stroke methods and distances. I had to learn timing to a greater degree than before (I really had an excellent sense of rhythm prior to learning violin). Each of these were separate skills and then the hardest part was bringing them all together. The same thing is true of many different skills and abilities in art, sports, even programming and accounting.

     Most skilled activities are learning a number of distinct skills and then bringing them all together. For some things, the integration is not required though it is always preferable. But to become a “champion”, a virtuoso, an “award-winner” it is required.

     That final step is to have it be truly automatic. The baseball player’s glove is an extension of their arm. The piano keys and pedals are extensions of the pianists hands and feet. Keyboards and algorithms are extensions of the programmer’s thoughts. Some think it might be “taken over” by other parts of the brain such that it truly is no longer a conscious activity. I do think that there are some reactions and responses that seem to not take enough time for the senses to be sorted out, and handled, by the brain in a conscious method.

     In this ultimate configuration, you have an extended body. You don’t think about what your fingers, feet, arms, or legs are doing with the instruments because those instruments are just a part of you. You can probably think of many instances of this. I have mentioned music and art. How about race car driving? Is there enough time to do things consciously or is everything automatic?

Follow the route

     So, to get to the goal (unless you are a prodigy), there is practice, practice, practice. But, once moving towards the goal, there is practice within a flow, practice within a flow. Always more and more in tune with yourself and your environment.