Over the years, I have seen many sporting events and many athletes in a wide range of sports. And I’ve mentored many elite athletes in just about every sport you can think of.
Periodically, in sports, an athlete performs at a different level than their peers
they are acting in.
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wayne Gretzky, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, and Willie Mays are some that come to mind when I think of sports figures that fall into this category. These athletes seem to do things that others can’t. They are artist-athletes who make their sport look easy and effortless.
They are also innovators taking their sport to a new level. These are the types of athletes who attract the attention of people who aren’t even sports fans because of their incredible abilities.
Now, I know very little about snowboarding. However, when I see Shaun White perform on his board, I am truly in awe.
He has the ability to generate much more air between himself and the ground when you compare punches to his fellow competitors. Shaun White appears to be ten or twelve feet taller than other snowboarders when they take off.
Obviously, this extra height gives you more time and room to do tricks and maneuvers that other snowboarders can’t do simply because they aren’t in the air for a long enough period of time.
As it does?
I don’t know much about physics or kinesiology. I’m sure scientists will eventually figure out how Shaun While rises above the earth the way he does.
One former figure skater noted, “You just have to feel some things in the snow that other athletes don’t.”
Behaviorists will want to study this young man to see what, if anything, is special about this young man’s mental approach to his sport.
Based on my experience mentoring many world-class athletes, I can tell you that you have resilience and a fun-loving spirit that allows you to get in the zone when you need to. He also seems to have a fantastic desire to excel in his sport and the work ethic to go with it.
Additionally, he found his passion early in his life and has been able to focus on his craft. He has also shown great poise in managing his success and the media attention he has received.
However, I suspect that he can generate more speed and more lift than other snowboarders when competing in the same spot. Your technique and timing should be a little better than others competing in your sport.
Maybe he understands something about producing speed, height and flight that others haven’t figured out yet. Maybe he has something to do with his relaxed demeanor or his long red hair. I frankly don’t know.
However he does it, his ability to fly is truly amazing. He is unique.
Other athletes, though it may not be him, can probably learn a lot about what it takes to get in the zone when it is needed by studying Shaun White very carefully.