QUESTION: Is Talent Born or Acquired?

[Bell]

This is a question that no doubt many have pondered over for ages. Now, I'm willing to take a position:

Talent is born.


The final evidence came in the form of Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, the 16-yr old who a few days ago started for Barcelona against Napoli. I just think there isn't enough time for a person that young to acquire thru effort alone what it takes to play at that level. Therefore, it must have been something he was born with, and then nurtured under proper conditions. The same would be true in other fields, such as education. Now, I also believe talent can be acquired but with very hard work, and then it wouldn't be, literally and figuratively, natural. Finally, I don't think it's a matter of having it or not: you get it in degrees.
Bell

[Damunk]

This is a question that no doubt many have pondered over for ages. Now, I'm willing to take a position:

Talent is born.


The final evidence came in the form of Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, the 16-yr old who a few days ago started for Barcelona against Napoli. I just think there isn't enough time for a person that young to acquire thru effort alone what it takes to play at that level. Therefore, it must have been something he was born with, and then nurtured under proper conditions. The same would be true in other fields, such as education. Now, I also believe talent can be acquired but with very hard work, and then it wouldn't be, literally and figuratively, natural. Finally, I don't think it's a matter of having it or not: you get it in degrees.
Bell

Talent, by its very definition, is innate.
So you’re born with it.
The rest is nurturing.

[Lolly]

For those who have a higher level of ability than most of his peers in one sport or the other, you would know you were born with it.

[Coach]

Genetic potential is variable, full actualisation is almost entirely environmental.

[mcal]

...born and nurtured, true.
I caught the movie "King Richard" about tennis phenom duo, the Williams sisters, and watched how their father nurtured the talent he saw in his daughters to greatness.

[Lolly]

...born and nurtured, true.
I caught the movie "King Richard" about tennis phenom duo, the Williams sisters, and watched how their father nurtured the talent he saw in his daughters to greatness.

And the talent was more evident in the 2 than the other two sisters born of the same parents.

[mcal]

...born and nurtured, true.
I caught the movie "King Richard" about tennis phenom duo, the Williams sisters, and watched how their father nurtured the talent he saw in his daughters to greatness.

And the talent was more evident in the 2 than the other two sisters born of the same parents.

...yep, the 2 tennis stars were from him and one of his other wives, the other girls were step kids.

[Enugu II]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

[Lolly]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

So how do you explain a 8 year old boy who stands out on a football pitch playing with his mates? And the boy in question is not built any different from his mates and has not had any structured football training.

[gochino]

This is a question that no doubt many have pondered over for ages. Now, I'm willing to take a position:

Talent is born.


The final evidence came in the form of Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana, the 16-yr old who a few days ago started for Barcelona against Napoli. I just think there isn't enough time for a person that young to acquire thru effort alone what it takes to play at that level. Therefore, it must have been something he was born with, and then nurtured under proper conditions. The same would be true in other fields, such as education. Now, I also believe talent can be acquired but with very hard work, and then it wouldn't be, literally and figuratively, natural. Finally, I don't think it's a matter of having it or not: you get it in degrees.
Bell

It's 50 - 50. We are hard wired with talent (50%) the rest is through hard work and motivation.

[Orion]

Anyone who plays the game professionally was born with the talent.

This is not a case of just working hard enough or having athletic attributes.

Maradona was born with the talent. I remember a documentary where his first youth coach said at his first training session when he was about 9 or 10, they thought he was a midget lying about his age as he played like an adult. Before then he didn't even have the resources to train like the other kids.

[Damunk]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

So how do you explain a 8 year old boy who stands out on a football pitch playing with his mates? And the boy in question is not built any different from his mates and has not had any structured football training.

Or the small 8 year old who outruns the kids in his class, in his school, in the neighborhood…. before he is even spotted by any local coach.
That is superior talent, not nurturing.

[Coach]

@Lolly, there is certainly a degree of genetic potential. Of the 8 year old standing out amongst his/her mates on the playing field, what makes him/her stand out, not the physiology of it, rather the quality. What qualities stand out? Therein lies the answer.

Neurodevelopment, in lay terms is defined by a chronological sequence of milestones. From holding one’s head upright to rolling from front to back. Tracking movement with one’s eyes, holding a gaze, exercising attention, the proprioceptive precision to reach out for an object and cognition to think of the action and manifest curiosity. The milestones are myriad, the timescale for achievement is broad.

The 8 year old standing out on the pitch is, more than anything, on the upper curve if not above the 95th centile for cognitive development. Voluntary action is a manifestation of thought. He or she stands out because they think faster and therefore act faster. They have greater ambidexterity, proprioceptive awareness and reflexivity. Rewind 7 years, add months on top and parents of said 8 year will tell tales of accelerated neurodevelopment. Many parents, upon noticing this, nurture it.

Genetic potential has been well researched and is evidenced by many papers, however it is just that, potential. Through nurturing is such potential harnessed.

[Coach]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

So how do you explain a 8 year old boy who stands out on a football pitch playing with his mates? And the boy in question is not built any different from his mates and has not had any structured football training.

Or the small 8 year old who outruns the kids in his class, in his school, in the neighborhood…. before he is even spotted by any local coach.
That is superior talent, not nurturing.

How often does the small 8 year old run? How old were when they started crawling, walking, ambulating unaided? Where are they on the growth charts?

Yes, genetics plays a role in defining the proportion of fast twitch muscle fibres, but if they’ve never twitched? If those muscles have never been exercised? Genetic potential plus optimal environment = genetic advantage.

[Cellular]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

Prof., I don't agree with you. Talent by its definition is INNATE.
Skill? That one can be taught.

People are born with exceptional talent. Talent that is above the norm. Physical, mental, intellectual... they themselves can't even tell you how they got it or why they are outside the bell curve.

They are also people who work hard to develop average talent... but they will struggle against someone who is naturally gifted. When you get a hold of someone who has natural talent and help them refine and polish that talent, you can't match them especially if they decide to work on it. People can work hard enough to seem talented... but they are no match to people who it comes easy to... that's talent. We sometimes interchange talent with skill but they are not the same.

[joao]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

Talent - natural aptitude or skill.
the aptitude or skill to do something well.

A midget has no talent for the NBA, (e.g. Lionel Messi)
A born congenital mute has no talent for singing.
A rotund person has no talent for the marathon.

E II, abeg make I rest my case here o.
Cheers!!!

[Enugu II]

No one is born with TALENT.

What people are born with is physical attributes that can make talent acquisition easier and faster with practise. This often explains difference between sexes in sport.

The lad in question more likely has positive physical attributes and then be spent hours practising the sport.

There are many Americans that could easily dominate soccer but instead they dominate sprints and basketball because that is what they practice.

Prof., I don't agree with you. Talent by its definition is INNATE.
Skill? That one can be taught.

People are born with exceptional talent. Talent that is above the norm. Physical, mental, intellectual... they themselves can't even tell you how they got it or why they are outside the bell curve.

They are also people who work hard to develop average talent... but they will struggle against someone who is naturally gifted. When you get a hold of someone who has natural talent and help them refine and polish that talent, you can't match them especially if they decide to work on it. People can work hard enough to seem talented... but they are no match to people who it comes easy to... that's talent. We sometimes interchange talent with skill but they are not the same.

Cell

There is not in football that is innate. No t hing at all. Everything in football must be learned. Now there are just a few things that humans are born with e.g. crying, smiling, etc.

We must realize that even for us humans to walk, we must learn how to. For us to run, who must learn how to.

However, smiling, laughing, eating, etc are innate.

Soccer is definitely something you must learn.it is not natural. If it was I wonder ho we many people in biblical times that played soccer. Just asking.

[greg]

Nigeria dominates football at U-17 level. At that stage, I would dare say it's about 70% raw talent and 30% nurture required to be successful. At the senior level however, these talents tend to fizzle away as Nigeria is deficient in talent nurturing infrastructure. So it's surely not purely an A or B answer like Born or Acquired. I remember Dele Ajiboye deservedly beating David De Gea to win best goalie at their U17 tournament. One need look no further for a more befitting case study. So "talent" can vary heavily over time depending on what is done to it.