Greatness

Greatness

Everyone can cite an example of greatness, but defining it isn’t easy. Those seeking illustrations of greatness know that it often manifests in the world of sports.

Small, subtle differences separate the world’s greatest athletes from their rivals. Those tiny margins spell the difference between levels of greatness. For instance, during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Usain Bolt beat Michael Johnson’s 1996 world-record time in the 200-meter event by only 0.02 seconds. In 2010, during the Butler University vs. Duke University National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball championship game, Gordon Hayward failed to make a basket from half court with his last-second buzzer shot. If the ball had struck the backboard one inch to the side, he would have made it, and Butler would have won.

Research concerning the world’s greatest athletes shows that longer practice, superior stamina and sustained effort distinguish true champions. Such research suggests that anyone can become great through exceptional, concentrated and sustained exertion. “You have to be willing to do things the masses would never do,” says Steve Bisciotti, owner of the Baltimore...