Personality of professional athletes

After watching sporting events, such as Rugby, Football and Athletics to just name a few, it came to my attention what types of personality do these top level athletes have.

To be a professional athlete, you must ‘win at all costs’. From my own experience, at school level, to club level at local teams, the truley talented athletes ‘win at all costs’. In other terms they will do everything they can to be the best. This must link to their personality must be determined, goal driven, and to some extent a disrespectful mannerism to their opponents and team mates to ‘win at all costs’.

Eriscsson, in 1996 suggested that an athlete must train in their sport for ‘10,000 hours’ in order to make it to the top level. Although research has now suggested against this approach and specialise in their skill and sport working on the correct training to make it to the top level, I believe what Ericsson came up with in 1996 is still relevant. I believe as a professional athlete the athlete must be willing to put in the time, and effort to train. A personality trait that suggests persistence and grit, which only selective people will have, in my opinion.

When you look at all the succesful athletes in their sport: Owen Farrel – Rugby, Harry Kane – Football, Jessica Ennis Hill – athletics, they have all proven to have put in 10,000 hours of training in to make it where they are today. All of these professional athletes have determination and grit to put in the time to be as talented as they are. They all show personality traits that makes them successful.

Ravel Morrison – Case Study

Ravel Morrison – previous Manchester United player.

Ravel Morrison is currently a premier league footballer playing for Sheffield Utd, however he was in the spotlight to be the next big thing only about 5 years ago to reach the same heights as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Where did it go wrong?

When playing for Manchester United, he caused some bad incidents. Manchester united had ‘supported him even after he was convicted of intimidating a witness to a knifepoint robbery’ or which he’d escaped with a 12-month referral order and was instructed to cough up £2,000 in compensation. Manchester united had also backed him after he admitted ‘criminal damage, having thrown his partner’s phone from her parents’ window’ (Four Four Two, 2017).

Just from these stories it highlights to me his personality was not the right type to become a top level footballer. Although he had the talent on the pitch to showcase his skills. Mentally he just didn’t have it.

Ericsson, 1996 said that family environment is an important variable that will affect the development of talent in many domains, including sports. I believe one of the reasons for Ravel Morrison’s fall from grace was because he didn’t receive the right support from his family. It is clear from the evidence of bad incidents he found himself in, he needed the support. Family is a big influence on decisions. If his family gave up on him or decided not to help him then I believe this could be the reason he is where he is now.

Linking back to successful athletes

When I take Ravel Morrison as an example and put him in the bracket of the successful athletes such as Jessica- Ennis Hill, I really want to distinguish the difference.

• Firstly the mindset of these top level athletes are more focused. Their personality traits such as sensible and mature, are one key factor that made them become successful.
• The successful compared to the athletes such as Ravel Morrison were more determined, they want to complete their tasks, and not affected by external factors. They have a steady head.
• One key personality is being open minded, and open minded to listen to other people. All top level athletes will have their struggles, but they will listen to advice and support from external influences to get back on track and achieve their goal. Players such as Ravel Morrison do not listen to advice and think the ‘bad incident’ thinking is the right way of thinking.