Beware of Potential

Potential! Who determines if someone possesses potential or not, especially in the world of athletics where this term is often overused? As I recently celebrated another trip around the sun, I was pondering what people said about my potential many years ago.  Did they see something special in me?  Why or why not?  As a former coach, was I successful in predicting the potential of my athletes?  So, what does it mean to have potential? Is it contingent upon participating on some Club team as a volleyball player at the age of eleven? Does it imply that if a child isn't excelling by the age of eleven, they lack potential?

Curious to explore the concept of potential further, I recently completed Adam Grant’s latest book, “Hidden Potential.” The book proved thought-provoking, offering insights into the circumstances that lead us to assume someone has potential. Drawing from my experience as a former basketball, baseball, and golf coach, I recognize the challenge of predicting potential on the court, field, or course. There were times I accurately assessed kids and times I may have missed the mark. Admittedly, I spent more time developing the skills of those deemed to have potential or talent. This tendency isn't unique to sports—teachers often invest more time in students excelling in their classrooms, and business owners naturally gravitate towards their future stars.

I propose that when we decide who possesses potential or talent, we miss out on the opportunity to develop other future stars. This is particularly evident when determining which ten-year-old deserves to be included on a traveling sports team. Does having the highest GPA at the end of junior year guarantee economic success by the age of 40? Perhaps in some cases. However, there are countless stories of students who initially struggled academically but given time and extra attention, surpassed their more academically adept peers, becoming success stories.

Grant argues that measuring potential involves predicting the future based on a snapshot of the present. Take our eleven-year-old volleyball prodigy—she excels at age eleven, maybe due to her height, early enrollment in camps, accomplished athletic parents, or early physical maturation.

My concern for these young phenoms is that when their classmates catch up physically and skill-wise, they may suffer mental and emotional challenges. Coping with no longer being the best can lead to higher degrees of depression, especially when so much was expected of them, and their identities revolved around being exceptional athletes. If these kids have parents or coaches lacking balance, it can be destabilizing. Part of our national mental health crisis for young people can be attributed to the pressure placed upon young people to accel.  We need to remember these kids can be successful, well-adjusted adults without being pushed to practice their sport 24-7.

The non-star may surpass the phenom because they must work harder for success. Their talent relies on facing adversity daily. This isn't to diminish the hard work of young stars, but to emphasize that early struggles can cultivate essential character traits like perseverance, grit, and desire, often proving more crucial than early talent.  These types of character traits are the things we should be looking for in young people when we start talking about potential.

Perhaps it's time to cease the relentless search for the next LeBron James, Serena Williams, or Tiger Woods. For every James, Williams, or Woods, there are hundreds of thousands of kids pressured to become the next great thing. While many will achieve great things, they likely won't live up to the lofty expectations imposed on them. How many true sporting savants are there?  Is your child the next one?  I don’t want to ruin the end of that story for you, but they are not.  Focusing on all kids during formative years, spreading time, money, and energy more evenly, is more likely to help many reach their potential.  Those who are truly special will be fine.  Stop attempting to make kids into more than they are.

In the end, society will likely continue seeking stars; Americans love the super-star! However, my hope is that coaches, teachers, and parents adopt a more balanced approach to developing great young individuals. Everyone has potential.  We all develop at different rates.  

And remember, Americans also love the underdog! If you can't be an eleven-year-old phenom, become a growth-minded, hardworking productive member of society. Remember, potential is merely a snapshot in time.

I hope we all can stop using the word “potential” so haphazardly.