The Nature Versus Nurture Issue

by Darrell

The nature versus nurture issue of sport is very controversial. When we come to talk about great athletes we tend to ask ourselves a question that has been around every since sports have started- are great athletes born or made? From my experiences, and other professional athlete’s experiences, I can tell you that they are made. I believe that you can achieve anything life if you want it bad enough, and are willing to do everything you can to achieve it. For instance, NBA great Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers is an un-athletic, skinny person who overcame leg deformities as a child that prevented him from walking. He had to wear leg braces for several years until his leg problems were corrected enough for him to start walking again. Eventually, Miller went on to play in the NBA for 13 seasons, while setting the record for most 3-point shots made (Beyond the Glory: Reggie Miller 2004). Therefore, in my opinion, Miller was not a “born” athlete. I feel that he worked hard to develop his skill, and make it into the NBA.

On the other hand, many people believe that genetics make up good athletes. They believe that people are born with the ability to become a great athlete. For instance, people believe that Reggie Miller was born with genes that would make him a good basketball player since he was born with potential to grow tall. Miller is now 6’6, and almost every great basketball player surpasses the height of 6’4. Therefore, being tall gives you an advantage in basketball, because you are indeed, closer to the basket. Critics of the theory that athletes are developed will often ask “if Reggie was 5’6, would he have made it into the NBA?” They will tell you he never would have made it. Critics would also tell you that Miller has an older sister, Cheryl, who is one of the greatest players of all time in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association). Therefore, they would say that the Miller’s were born to play basketball. Critics also believe that good genes are passed on to the next generation. Examples would be Lakers basketball star Kobe Bryant and father Joe Bryant who used to play in the NBA. Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. are probably the most famous father-son duo in baseball history, both big stars. A high level of sport atmosphere influenced both Ken and Kobe at a young age since they were exposed to a high level of play as children.

Another example of a great athlete that was supposedly “genetically” made was Lance Armstrong. According to Are Athletes Born or Built (2005), great athletes may be born with certain physical attributes that separate them from the rest. “Characteristics that genetics have a large influence over include strength, muscle size/fiber composition (fast or slow twitch), lung capacity, VO2 max flexibility, and endurance to some extent.” Believers of the theory that athletes are born and not made would argue that the great cyclist Lance Armstrong is a great cyclist because he has one of the greatest V02 Max readings ever seen. V02 max measures the amount of oxygen that your blood carries (Olympic Gold Begins With Good Genes, Experts Say 2005). Since this is genetic, believers in this theory would come to think that he was a “born” cyclist, because he was born with the ideal genetic makeup to become a pro cyclist.

To refute these counterclaims, I can tell you that not everyone can become a great athlete. Some people just do not have the motivation to train, or are physically incapable of training. Soccer great Laureano Ruiz believes that 80% of soccer can develop into great athletes with proper training. He also believes that reaching the top is a marathon, not a sprint. In order to develop your true potential, you must work as hard as you can, and commit every bit of your spare time training, striving to become a better player. He also states reaching the top can be achieved by any player with an abundance of dedication and inspired guidance (How to Become a Top Player - and the part played by nature and nurture 2005). Athletes are made and not born because the people that work hard to get there will get there. Even if you are born with “good genes” this does not guarantee success. For example, if I was born with the genes to become a great hockey player, but I never worked hard, and I spent all my off seasons home drinking beer instead of training, do you think that I would become a great hockey player? I don’t think so. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you are born with the genes to be a good hockey player or not, if you make stupid decisions, and do not train, you will not go anywhere. Therefore, there is no substitute for good training, since that is the only thing that will develop athletes into great athletes.

To refute the “good athletic genes are passed down through the generation” theory, I can tell you that exposure to sports at a young age can aid a child’s athletic development. If a child is nurtured into a sport at a young age, the child will be more successful in the sport as an adult because they have been playing longer and will have more experience. This is why Kobe Bryant’s and Ken Griffey Jr. are so good at sports, they were taught the basics at a young age, and kept practicing to improve their skills. People thought that Kobe Bryant was born with his exceptional basketball skill due to genetic influence. Actually, Kobe was always in the gym hours before and hours after his basketball practices so he could practice his basketball skills alone because he was always hungry to improve (Beyond the Glory: Kobe Bryant 2004). Hence, the fathers of these stars got their son’s into sports at a young age and nurtured their skills with proper professional training.

Nurture performs a bigger role in becoming a great athlete than nature does because there are many external factors. For example, Brazilians are so good at soccer we think that they have it in their genes. This is not true, Brazilians are very poor, and soccer is a sport where only a ball is needed. These kids in Brazil will stay out all day playing soccer in the street playing against quality opposition. The weather is also very good down there so kids can play soccer at any time. Since these kids play all the time, they are constantly developing their skills. The environment in Brazil is ideal to produce good soccer players. Therefore, if you shipped a Brazilian kid to Canada where the weather is cold and people are not as passionate about soccer, the child would probably not develop into a great soccer player since he is not surrounded by an atmosphere where everybody plays the game. Ivan Doe (2005), a professional soccer player, believes that being athletic doesn’t necessarily mean that you will develop certain techniques needed for playing soccer quicker. He also believes that playing soccer at a young age aids development, and this is why the Brazilians are so good, they start at a young age and they play, play, and play some more. Being born in a soccer-crazed country, he got hooked on the sport at a young age, and never looked back.

Another reason why there are no born athletes because no one is born with specific athletic skills. For instance, going back to Reggie Miller, he wasn’t born with the ability to shoot the ball well; he had to develop this on his own practicing hour upon hour, taking hundreds of shots per day. This is what the hall of fame basketball player Magic Johnson said about Miller: “"I've never seen a guy work as hard as Reggie Miler. I'm talking about every day." (Beyond the Glory: Reggie Miller 2004). Miller also played against his older sister, who was much better than him as a child. Playing against better opposition helps develop skills quickly. After playing basketball against his sister everyday, Miller grew a competitive edge, since he hated losing to his sister. This drove Reggie to practice more and more, so he could beat her 1 on 1 whenever he wanted to. Michael Jordan is another example of the theory that great athletes are made. He is the greatest basketball player of all time, and he got cut from his high school team in his sophomore year. If basketball came naturally to Jordan, he wouldn’t have been cut from this team. According to Michael Jordan’s Biography (2005), he had to earn every inch by working hard. Instead of giving up after failing to make the team, Jordan used it for motivation to help him achieve further. "Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I'd close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it," Jordan said, "and that usually got me going again."

Lance Armstrong is another great athlete who worked very hard to achieve success. In the book It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life (Armstrong and Jenkins 2001), Armstrong tells readers how he overcame cancer to win Le Tour De France, the most prestigious cycling event in the world. He states that while he was in the hospital, the captain of his former team went into his hospital room, and told him while he was dying that they were ending his contract. This upset Armstrong, and motivated him to get better and work harder so he could go back, and win the Le Tour De France to get back at the people at his former team for ending his contract. If great athletes are born, Lance Armstrong wasn’t one of them. He was born with harmful cells which later developed into testicular cancer that almost ended his life. If anything, his genes would impair his athletic ability, not improve it. Therefore, athletes are much more a product of nurture than nature.

In conclusion, exceptional athletes are built, not born. Like the great Winston Churchill said, “Success is a journey…not a destination,” this tells us that the only way we can achieve our goals is through practice, practice, and more practice. It is impossible to be a “born great” athlete; we become a great athlete through proper training, motivation, and through our environment. In order to reach the top, you must be dedicated and do whatever you must to reach the top. Like the old saying goes, “you can do anything you want to do if you work hard to achieve it” is very accurate in describing the effects of nurture on becoming a great athlete.