The Late Bloomer Advantage In Sports

“The Sports Gene” author, David Epstein

In 2016, The Sports Gene author, David Epstein, joined me for a conversation that will empower young athletes, their parents, and coaches. 

Our launching point is the case of late blooming QB Carson Wentz, the number 2 pick in that year’s NFL draft. 

Did Wentz rise to the top despite the fact that he was a late bloomer, or because of it? 

The answer has profound implications for youth sports.

Epstein’s superb synthesis of sports science studies (combined with his personal experience as an athlete) finds that, in most sports, specializing early puts young athletes at a disadvantage as they approach college age. 

What is the best approach to maximizing a person’s athletic potential?  Epstein provides actionable intelligence on the key concept of “trainability.” 

And it does not depend on 10-thousand hours of practice.

 

Michael Schulder: From a Researcher at ABC News; To a Writer at The MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour on PBS; To my five years as a Writer for Peter Jennings at ABC World News Tonight; And 17 years as a Senior Executive Producer at CNN.

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