A new book blows out of the water the theory that the key to sport success is relentless practice and focus from an early age
This column comes from the sleepy Austrian town of Götzis, where Katarina Johnson-Thompson has obliterated a world-class heptathlon field, winning four of the seven disciplines. Her event is a supreme test of speed, strength, stamina and technical skill. Yet Johnson-Thompson did not start out wanting to be an athlete. Instead, while still in nappies, she began taking ballet classes. Then, later, she became obsessed with football, kicking about with friends outside her house in Liverpool while wearing a Steven Gerrard top. Only when she was older did she focus on track and field.
I mention this because I have been reading an extraordinary new book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialised World, by David Epstein, which skewers what he calls “the cult of the head start” and makes an overwhelming scientific case for playing the sporting field.
Written by Sean Ingle
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2019/may/27/sports-variety-better-early-than-sharp-focus-david-epstein-book under the title “The 10,000-hour rule for sporting success is a myth, so let kids dabble | Sean Ingle”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
