As a parent sitting at home watching the Olympics, it’s natural to wonder about the early years of these amazing athletes. Many of us may wonder how these athletes achieved such exceptional performance. Many of us assume that they must have started at a very young age, trained nonstop, or perhaps been child prodigies.
The same thought comes to mind when we see any sort of exceptional performer—whether it be a musician, a scientist, or an athlete. This way of thinking reveals a cultural myth about high achievers. We tend to think they were amazingly talented from a very young age.
Of course, they practiced or refined their skill, but the underlying assumption seems to be that their talent is almost innate. However, new research is challenging this assumption and suggests it may not be as true as we think.
New Research On High Achievers
A recent study of 34,000 adult elite performers suggests that most were not that exceptional as children. Overall, the study finds that child prodigies are quite rare.
Perhaps more interestingly, it also suggests that child prodigies rarely remain exceptional in their field as adults. The findings are enlightening, as they show that early exceptional performance isn’t necessarily related to later excellence in fields such as sports, music, or even science. This is very contrary to the common belief that children who are exceptional at a skill must be destined to maintain that level of skill into adulthood.
This research also runs counter to the current trends in the parenting landscape. Over the last decade, there has been a trend toward children specializing in a sport at younger ages. For example, if a child shows an aptitude for baseball, the common practice is to encourage them to discontinue other sports and focus solely on that sport.
One study found that, a decade ago, children, on average, played more than two sports. The average is 1.63. Thus, the atmosphere around youth sports has become increasingly competitive, high-stakes, and expensive.
Early Specialization May Not Be The Answer
This new study suggests that early specialization may not be the best path. It shows that adult players who become world-class athletes or musicians spend more time practicing across a variety of domains beyond their primary sport or instrument. These findings really undermine this idea of early specialization. This study shows that multiple-disciplinary practice makes a difference in sports and other domains.
The study reveals a very small group of young, exceptional performers who peak early but often do not maintain that exceptional level of performance as they mature. Then there’s a completely different set of people (these two groups rarely overlap) who do not perform as well in their early years, but then reach peak performance later and often surpass those who started as very high performers.
The Unseen Factors Contributing to Success
One of the key factors, it seems, is an understanding of what it takes to be a world-class performer in any of these domains. Some scientists argue that to really understand how someone reaches that level of performance, you have to look at other factors besides their practice and skill.
Researchers need to consider the “soft skills” that these high achievers develop over the years. These factors include self-discipline, self-regulation, grit, perseverance, and self-control. These are just a few of the mental and psychological factors that are crucial to success in any field.
Understanding world-class achievement means looking beyond cultural stories of child prodigies and early achievement. As with any human behavior, high-level performance is a complex phenomenon to analyze. It appears to develop from a combination of hard work, practice in various areas, and strong mental habits.
As parents, this study reminds us that the gifts children bring to the world are multifaceted and may manifest in various ways. There’s not one clear path to success in any domain. The best we can do is to support their interests, encourage the development of social-emotional skills, and be patient as we observe how they grow and mature.