What Makes A Champion?

Athletic giftedness is the natural ability of

an individual to perform sports-related
activities. It can result in success due to a
number of factors. (Gray & Plucker, 2010).
Athleticism encompasses many variables
including strength, power, speed,
flexibility, agility, body awareness and
coordination (Siracusa, 2011).
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General Theories and Concepts on Athletic Giftedness

Natural Athletic Ability
Athletic ability may be attributed to the
physical attributes of an athlete. These
are his/her height, weight, size, speed,
coordination, dexterity, and flexibility.
High levels in these attributes can help
athletes excel in a particular sport (Gray
& Plucker, 2010).
Kinesthetic Intelligence
Kinesthetic intelligence is the awareness
of the body’s different movements and
positions. Athletes seem to have an
awareness of what is happening around
them as they can time their movements
and understand complex patterns (Kerr,
2009).
Training
Many athletes spend incredible amounts
of time and energy to training. Usually,
10 years of training are spent by athletes
before competing internationally. A
strong commitment to training helps
athletes reach higher tiers of competition
(Kerr, 2009)

Optical Performance
Cognitive ability has a significant role in
athletic success. Here, athletes can
actively think and modify their actions
while participating and utilizing strategy.
Due to possessing these mental skills, the
athlete becomes more focused,
composed, and confident (Gray & Plucker,
2010).
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LeBron James
Athletic Giftedness and Training At the age of 33, James has become one of
Make a Champion the best basketball players in the world.
Gifted athletes who trust in their abilities He is a 3-time world champion and a 4-time
and knowledge about their sports while MVP of the National Basketball Association.
having proper and regular training, put
His physical attributes can be a factor to
themselves in a better position to
his huge success as he has because he has
succeed (Jones & Wilson, 2009). Their
natural athletic abilities make the a body build of a center but also has a
athletes have a significant advantage speed and agility of a guard. Another
over other athletes. Although these do factor is that he works and trains non-stop
not guarantee success, it can help become even in the off-season. He does not let the
a champion (Kerr, 2009). doubters affect him in reaching greatness
in the sport of basketball (Howard, 2015).
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1. Gray, J., & Plucker, J. (2010). “She’s a Natural”: Identifying and Developing Athletic Talent. Journal for the Education of the Gifted.
2. Siracusa, Matt. (2011). Cross Training: A Key to Athleticism. Sport Medicine Science Council of Saskatchewan.
3. Jones, C., & Wilson, C. (2009). Defining Advantage and Athletic Performance: The Case of Oscar Pistorius. United Kingdom: European Journal of Sports Science.
4. Kerr, Barbara. (2009). Encyclopedia of Giftedness, Creativity and Talent. SAGE Publications, Inc.
5. Howard, Q. (2015). LeBron James: The Most Powerful Athlete of All-Time. United States of America: Peace Times.
Poster 10, Paolo Gabriel D. Fernandez