What are the characteristics that allow an athlete to succeed? The physical characteristics appear to include strength, speed, agility, and endurance. However, the mental characteristics that enable an athlete to excel are less understood.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
In addressing this void, researchers in this study (Spieler et al., 2007) assessed 108 male football players on demographic information, psychological characteristics, and athletic accomplishments. The demographic variables included age, height, weight, high school academic performance, and high school size. The psychological characteristics were neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and coping ability. The primary athletic accomplishment was whether or not the athlete was a team starter or a backup.
The study found that starters and non-starters differed in age, high school size, and ability to cope with adversity. Starters were older, came from a larger high school, and had a greater ability to cope.
IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WORKPLACE
Employers might want to consider this information when deciding which employees to select, although they may need to ensure that each of these factors applies to their particular situation. Though age and high school size may not be pertinent to success of employees, the ability to cope with adversity likely is. This characteristic appears to predict success across domains, from the gridiron to the boardroom.
Spieler, M., Czech, D. R., Joyner, A. B., Munkasy, B., Gentner, N., & Long, J. (2007). Predicting athletic success: Factors contributing to the success of NCAA Division I AA collegiate football players. Athletic Insight – The Online Journal of Sport Psychology, 9(2), 22-33.
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