WHAT MAKES A SUPERSTAR ATHLETE?

A roundup of platitudes about the general behaviors and mindset required to become, and excel as, a sports professional.

Tucking in inspirational comments from active or recently active athletes—from NBA standout Stephen Curry and Olympian gymnast Simone Biles to altruistic wrestler John Cena—Roland reveals that success can’t be achieved through shortcuts and that, guess what!, achieving stardom requires not only toughness, confidence, and many hours of practice, but good eating and sleeping habits, the ability to learn from failure, and large numbers of supporters, from parents to teammates and coaches. (Toward the end he allows that all of this could be applicable to nonathletic aspirations too but doesn’t pursue the topic.) While these reminders push back against facile narratives of those born with a magic touch, the realities of bullying parents or trainers—not to mention other potential costs of years of obsessive focus, including sexual abuse, personality disorders, financial obligations, and the rest—that many superstars have weathered in their journeys to the top go unmentioned, as do the huge odds against even qualifying for the Olympics or reaching a pro level in any sport. Prominent figures featured in the narrative and the sparse assortment of photos are diverse in race and gender.

Big dreams do merit nurturing—but not in this trite, superficial way.