Do you want to become a truly elite athlete? Do you dream of excelling at the varsity high school level, the college level, or even beyond that?
To do so you must eliminate the holes in your skill set that would cause a coach or scout to doubt your ability to succeed at the next level.
What skills might you have holes in?
That is a fairly long list.
Keep in mind the following DOES NOT INCLUDE SPORT-SPECIFIC SKILLS, which clearly are also critical.
What we list here are general attributes that are needed to varying degrees across all sports. The amount of each needed will vary based on your sport and even your position, but they each can make or break your potential success against higher level opponents.
PHYSICAL SKILLS
◊ Speed – Do you have the requisite level of sprint speed to handle the competition at the next level?
◊ Agility – Can you stop and re-accelerate efficiently, safely, and in a way that helps you gain separation from defenders or stick to offensive players?
◊ Quickness/Reaction Time – Do you react quickly enough to changes in the game to make plays?
◊ Strength – Are you strong enough for your sport and position to be able to physically dominate opponents?
◊ Power – Is your combination of speed and strength sufficient enough to perform sport-specific skills (throwing, hitting, shooting, kicking, etc) as well or better than most players at the next level?
◊ Coordination – Is your ability to control arm and leg movements in a synchronized fashion sufficient enough to make highly athletic plays?
◊ Balance – Can you control your movements on one leg sufficiently enough to lower your injury risk?
◊ Stability – Can you absorb forces (from opponents, gravity, momentum) well enough to lower your injury risk?
◊ Mobility – Do you move in functional patterns (squatting, lunging, reaching) through full ranges of motion well enough to limit injury risk?
◊ Endurance/Sport-Specific Conditioning – Do you stay fresh enough to compete at a high level all the way to the end of the game, at a level that mirrors the pace at the next level?
MENTAL SKILLS
(Attributes taken from Sports Axiology course by Jeremy Boone)
◊ Game Intelligence – How well do you understand the demands of your sport, and the position you play?
◊ Team Player – Do you put the team’s needs ahead of your own?
◊ Mental Toughness – Do you have the ability to cope with the present in order to reach your clear future objectives?
◊ Self Discipline – How well do you adhere to a practice and training routine to control your behavior and desires in order to achieve your goals?
◊ Coachability – How well do you take instruction from others?
◊ Self Motivation – What is the quality of your present drive & desire to improve?
◊ Self Confidence – Do you believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals?
◊ Personal Accountability & Self Awareness – How well do you know yourself and understand your strengths
◊ Focus -How well do you maintain your concentration throughout games, practices & workouts?
◊ Competitive Fire – Is your dseire to succeed greater than your fear of failure?
PREPAREDNESS
◊ Academic Eligibility – Do your grades and entrance scores meet the requirements of the school you want to go to?
◊ Financial – Does your sport provide full scholarships, and if not are you prepared to meet the financial obligations your recruiting coach may ask of you?
◊ Visibility – Have you found ways to get on the radar of the school or schools you wish to attend?
◊ Nutrition – Are your dietary habits allowing you to maximize your potential?
◊ Rest & Recovery – Do you give your body the time to recover from the physical and mental demands of sport & training?
