Nick Dunn, Director Of Activities and Community Operations at United World College, SEA East, looks at ways that international schools can encourage resilience and develop relevant skills in student-athletes to harness their natural talent and be the best they can be
John Smith was not the best athlete on his team. He was small for his age, lacked focus and physical strength in comparison to his peers. If a talent scout had watched him in training, he would have been noticeable only for his weaknesses in contrast to the strengths of his team mates. He didn’t have the raw talent, the unique outstanding potential that scouts expect to identify in young athletes, so that they are fast-tracked to an elite development squad, and might one day make the national team to represent their country in international competitions.
Except John Smith did make the national team
He did go on to represent his country, twice at The World Championships and once at The Commonwealth Games. He is now the leading national coach for his country.
As educators, we need to invest more in the value of building resilience in our students
In 1995, whilst working as a national coach, one of my roles was talent identification. I chose John Smith to be part of the development squad training to make it to the national team. Why? Why promote someone who lacked the obvious talent to make it into an elite team of athletes when his talent was not demonstrably obvious? Because John Smith had one particular quality that did make him stand out from the rest: resilience. I knew he was not the best athlete, but he clearly had an intense passion for his sport, and a dogged will to train over and over again until he mastered the skills to promote him to the level which he did finally achieve. And that is a quality which is too often overlooked. I have seen many talented athletes lose heart and interest, become distracted by the temporary satisfaction of instant gratification which eventually leads to quitting the sport. By comparison, John’s focus on the long term vision, the absolute determination to succeed, and the tenacious belief in his own ability to develop and improve is what set him apart.
As educators, we need to invest more in the value of building resilience in our students. What we call natural ability is only part of the story when it comes to helping students achieve their goals and aims. Mental toughness, acquiring the tools to withstand the setbacks and the obstacles that are inevitable in elite training is what our students need to really succeed.
Success is not a straight line but a convoluted, twisting road with speed bumps along the way. To build this resilience and grit, we need to create a shared vision which is achievable and challenging. Shared understanding builds a collaborative partnership between students and educators.