WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE

[1987chieftains]

A PURE ATHLETE OR A PLAYER THAT NEVER QUITS?

[Orange and Brown]

I would rather have a player who never quits. Pure athletes sometimes rely only on there ability and don't give there all. It's always nice to have guys who are gifted, but I would rather have a team full of kids who never quit.

[Neutron Man]

Pure athlete!! Hands Down!!!

Me for instance, in HS I had an excellent herat and drive to play every sport. Wouldnt quit!! But I wasnt the most coordinated person, or most athletically skilled person. I'd sit me. I want the guy who has the athletic ability and skil to go out and win. Then when that guy gets the lead up. put me in and i'll contain. Maybe?

[1987chieftains]

I would rather have a player who never quits. Pure athletes sometimes rely only on there ability and don't give there all. It's always nice to have guys who are gifted, but I would rather have a team full of kids who never quit.

i think i agree O&B.
a pure athlete can let up or if there are losing (as a team) they can give up. where as a athlete that is a never quit player. they'll play hard no matter what. they would play hard no matter what b/c always got that sense of not wanting to fail? i not sure that is the right word i'm looking for.

[schenk11]

A PURE ATHLETE OR A PLAYER THAT NEVER QUITS?

Player that never quits.











Although it is nicer to have pure athletes that never quit!!

[OVCfan32]

and there in lies the difference between a good coach and a great one,
a great coach can get the gifted athlete to never quit

[cant stop this]

A hybrid of the two, lol. You can help a kid less skilled come along, but you can't instill drive or hustle into someone who doesnt have it. Gimme the hustler

[noreply66]

Logan had a player named John Gasser in the 1965 season that fit both

[Bleeding Red]

How many times have you seen on all levels (high school through the pros) where you have a highly gifted athlete who just does enough to get by? Even for them, getting by means being on a completely other level than everyone else. But the problem is this:

If you have a pure athlete who loafs a little, he/she will develop more people into loafers. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

If you have a team of average to good athletes that never quit, you have a very talented TEAM that never quits.

Now that we are talking about TEAM sports, I will take the non quitters every time. This is based on my teamates in high school through college sports, and coaching Jr High through High School sports.

It is true that you cant teach talent, you either have it or you dont. But with HEART and DETERMINATION, you can take it out of someone, but you cant put it in them.

[OVCfan32]

I'd rather have a talented player that loafs occasionally physically than being absent minded, thats the type of loafing that can kill a team, 100% mental effort can never be forgotten, cause you don't have to run hard if you saw that double reverse coming a mile away. . . . .thats a big defensive point, play smarter not harder
and i think a playing loafing mentally can really effect the team, that is just contagious. . . .

[pan-man]

a player that NEVER QUITS by a mile

HARD WORK BEATS TALENT, WHEN TALENT DOESEN'T WORK HARD

[gymrat]

I would have to say the player that never quits. I mean, if the kid has the talent of Steve Urkel then that is one thing but if it is your average kid with a GREAT Attitude then he will be a good player.

[broncofan09]

I would have to say a player that never quits. If you have a pure athlete then he will be like T.O and expect you to do everthing his way and if he dont get it then he feels he should through a fit or quit. As to a player that never quits will work with the team and earn his right to his spot and not expect everything to go his way. he will relize there are 11 players on each side for a reason.

[Bleeding Red]

It is true that you cant teach talent, you either have it or you dont. But with HEART and DETERMINATION, you can take it out of someone, but you cant put it in them.

If you can't put heart and determination into an athlete, then you shouldn't be coaching.

Couldnt disagree with you more. Sure most people can be motivated by someone else, for a short period of time, but to do it on their own is to have heart and determination. That cant be coached into someone.

[wildthingRV]

I was the kid who wouldn't quit. I was also slow, uncoordinated, and unable to "get it". I was every coaches nightmare. Good kid, hard worker, can't use him or he'll get us killed.

I take the talented kid who won't quit.

[trojandave]

True motivation comes from within........as a runner who has completed 13 marathons and 4 ultramarathons, not one person ever needed to motivate me to run.......I loved the sport from the beginning and continue to love it today. I didn't need somebody else's motivational techniques.

People who need repeated attempts from someone else for motivation are lacking the most basic element of sport.........loving the game for what it is........and furthermore those who need frequent proding probably don't want to excel in the sport anyway.

Coaches can only do so much.......the truly great athletes or the athletes who are the most coachable are self-motivated. A coach's disciplinary measures are critical in his ability to motivate........if kids aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing, then the coach with strong discipline will cut playing time, which kids do not like. If a coach allows a certain player to make numerous mistakes but does not sit him while another player gets benched for one mistake, the motivational message is not sent properly.......and then kids lose respect for the coach as a result.

Summer basketball is a good example of what a coach can do to motivate his team......the coach can schedule numerous shootouts to give the kids the maximum opportunity to play and improve their skills. But it comes down to the kid getting up early in the morning and showing up........just a few weeks ago, Portsmouth had 13 kids go to Athens for a basketball shootout.......and the first game was at 10:00......so those kids had to get up early to make the long trip.....that impressed me when the alternative.......rolling over in bed on a summer morning......was a much easier option.

In all the years I have lived in Portsmouth I have seen a bunch of "athletes" that I have played against, but many of those didn't play for Portsmouth High School.......Why? because they weren't self-motivated to use their athletic talents......they wanted the glory but not the sweat that goes with it.......and as a result they drifted off into oblivion.......into the case file of "what could have been".......

[91blue14]

you gotta have both worlds on the team.

i dont think one is good without the other imo.

so i have to push

[trojandave]

I guess the best answer would be to have a pure athlete that never quits.......ideally, a coach could use a whole bunch of those kids......but in reality a team will have some pure athletes and then some kids who will never quit but just aren't as talented. Any team is not going to have a homogenous makeup......there's going to a mix of this and that........and a good coach can mold everybody together to make a successful team.

[loganlocos]

Logan had a player named John Gasser in the 1965 season that fit both

And he went on to start at Notre Dame. Not bad. Certainly won of the all-time greats at LHS.


Personally, I think it's important to pair PURE TALENT with guys that won't quit. I don't have to tell you all that one player doesn't win a whole lot of games. It takes a great TEAM.

Part of a great team is talent. The other part is hard work. You need a group of guys who can do it all. I've seen a lot of "marginal" kids become great players because of hard work. And I've seen "Great Talents" who RISE to the occasion and those who have "good" careers when they could have been "great" with more work.

But at the end of the day, I think you need them both.

[coal miner's son]

Work your "Horses"
Polish your "Stars"
Get rid of "Dead Wood"