Supertraining

Have you all heard of a guy named Karl Newell. He created a constraints led 
view of the Dynamical Systems theory that theorizes that development occurs 
through an interaction on constraints from the task, the environment, or the 
organism. All of these discussions in some way reinforces that talent is not an 
easy concept to define and it is logical to think that there are several 
reasons that facilitate highly talented individuals rather than just deliberate 
practice and great genes. If anyone is interested in his 1986 article let me 
know and I can send it to you.


Steve Smith, ABD, CSCS, USAW
Assistant Professor
Health and Physical Education and Exercise Physiology
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Assistant Coach- Golf
Coordinator- Game Management
Lynchburg College
(434) 544-8392
[EMAIL PROTECTED]




-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of douglas fairbanks
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 5:46 PM
To: group
Subject: [Supertraining] Re: Nature, Nurture, and "SolutionTemplates"

Everyone,

Just this afternoon I read and article in Psychology Today magazine that 
discussed and named a handful of individuals and one specific athlete that did 
not start the sport till he was 21 and is now a national champion.  I will post 
the article name when I can get it.  It is not exactly what we are talking 
about but has a lot of similarity in relation to behavior and beliefs in 
oneself.  Otherwise this discussion has been very interesting, thanks.

Doug Fairbanks
Boston, Ma

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To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Sun, 7 Dec 2008 22:43:24 
-0500Subject: [Supertraining] Re: Nature, Nurture, and "SolutionTemplates"

Lisa Shavinia has added this insight on the 'critical window of 
opportunity":"There are no doubts that extended training and deliberate 
practice improve performance. But it is not entirely correct to assert that 
starting practice anytime will lead to Olympic gold medals or similar 
achievements. The beginning of the deliberate practice should coincide with the 
sensitive periods in an individual's development. For example, the famous 
Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzkybegan skating just before turning three, 
and soon after, his father built a skating rink in their backyard. Gretzky 
spent hours there, occasionally coming in to have his toes warmed between the 
hands of his father. Those early years of playing hockey were critical for his 
amazing success in hockey. On many occasions Wayne Gretzky explained his 
unbelievable success in hockey by his ability to be not where a pack is at the 
moment, but to always be where it will be in the next moment. Why don't we have 
hundreds of Wayne Gretzkys? Many practice deliberately and extremely hard, in 
accordance with the expert performance approach.As Wayne Gretzky's and one of 
his manager's quotes indicate, he has a unique type of mental representations 
and, as a result, metacognitive abilities. We do not know for sure whether 
deliberate practice alone shaped these abilities or it only crystallized 
them."As general manager Harry Sinden once said: 'Gretzky sees a picture out 
there that no one else sees', According to neurologist William Tatton, who has 
studied long loop reflexes in Wayne Gretsky, "The Great One takes less time 
from the instant he perceives the stimulus until his shot has been fired, until 
his long loop reflexes have sent the puck off to the goal."In addition, 
"Gretsky has one other physical-neurological attribute that undoubtedly 
contributes to his extraordinary success. Gretsky claims that he never turns 
his head in order to make a pass. In fact, he never looks at the players on his 
wings before passing the puck to them. What Gretsky is reporting is a much 
greater than average ability to perceive motion. In Gretsky, "these visual 
cells and their distribution are under hereditary control, for without proper 
stimulation during the appropriate window of opportunity they will never 
develop to their maximal capability. Gretsky had this physical skill and 
developed it."Ken JakalskiLisle HSLisle, IL USA



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