10,000 hours of practice before I get discovered? I´d rather be a pirate!

An evaluation of what contributes to success and the techniques used to nurture talent particularly focussing on youth and how they may be influenced throughout their careers. Addresses what is necessary to get discovered and how parents and coaches that are looking for talent in their subject, may develop a student effectively whilst creating a constructive environment.

There’s something about the presentation of talent that I find attractive. Whether it’s the fact that I’m aware I’m witnessing the fruits of someone’s determined efforts of training or if  it’s the opportunity to observe the effective skills that I know I cannot equally display, I’m not sure what it is, but I find it mystifying. What these people have to endure to become a success in their chosen profession is remarkable.
    Having trained at one of the top classical ballet schools in the world and performed with some of the top ballet companies, I would like to think I have some understanding of what today’s talented individuals are dealing with. And after training under many teachers and sampling methods from all over the world, I began to wonder what technique I preferred. I came up with a question involving two key elements, it is simply; whether or not there is a right or wrong way to encourage and develop young talent and if so what can we do to achieve this. Of course according to individual teachers/coaches their way is ultimately the right way, but we need to approach from the outside in and this means finding:

A. The most effective regime for developing talented youth and building technique, combined with:

B. The most ethical approach in doing so.

    I have seen both ends of the table in terms of stringency and leniency, especially in the ballet industry. On the one hand I have friends that have worked under teachers that are very lenient and provide a very comfortable environment for the student, but because of such a laid-back atmosphere the standard of the technique was, quite simply not up to scratch. In contrast, I have seen students receive very intense training and as expected, their technique was often quite outstanding, but after a few years of such intensity they would find distraction in the various temptations that they were deprived of whilst they were training.
Controversial training methods amongst gymnasts is beginning to gain exposure. Ex- champion U.S. gymnast Jennifer Sey describes some training methods in gymnastics as "a brutal physical regime that leaves gymnasts crippled in later life and bearing psychological scars." With such physically demanding professions like Gymnastics and Classical Ballet, we not only see young and aging athletes with emotional and “psychological scars” but this is also translated into the physical body, with gymnasts especially retiring in their early twenties having “peaked” and now suffering with the likes of arthritis.
    Today it seems it’s not easy to find creative professionals, but even harder to find professional teaching methods, especially as most developed countries today are battling with the monster of uncertainty that is political correctness. I remember an old teacher of mine, before I joined the Royal Ballet School, who was young and very up to date with modern living. He had lived in the United States for several years and had many western views. But he simply could not understand the restricting teaching regulations maintained in Britain. Such limitations were taken full advantage of by my fellow classmates. Thinking back, it must have been a nightmare for him, especially considering the impossible targets expected by the director. He was expected to transform a class of rowdy obstreperous young boys into strong professional ballet dancers, but could only do so following the safest measures.
    Perhaps it is this reason why we often see Britain performing rather averagely in comparison to likes of Russia, U.S.A and China. Though I blame this on the ratio of mass population of these nations compared with the U.K. I do feel the British approach has a reputation for being much softer in their coaching methods. You may contest this, using the astounding efforts of the young Tom Daley as an example, who at only fourteen competed for the 2008 Summer Olympic Finals, if we had five Brits of the same standard but in music, then who knows, we could even beat the completely flawless ranking system that delivers a sack of “nil point” syndrome that plagues us at every Eurovision Song Contest.
Recently regarding Olympic preparation, Chinese and Russian training methods have caused controversial debate. In terms of technicality, the methods used are far superior, resulting in athletes with exceptional talent and determination. But the training in which they must endure is often unbearable. How much is too much?
    Whilst training, I used to find it hard to know when to be satisfied with how hard I’d have trained and to know whether or not I’ve put enough hours in. According to Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, you need to invest at least 10,000 hours of training into your craft and after 10,000 hours of training you are most likely to become successful. That’s an interesting fact and one I’m sure would measure up. After all, you practice anything for 10,000 hours and you will be sure to become pretty fantastic at it. But I ask 10,000 hours of what training? If you’re a writer, can you spend 10,000 hours reading the dictionary to maximise your vocabulary, or would you need to embark on a much more strenuous campaign.
    To get your 10,000 hours in for a model or a computer gamer (who once into their twenties are no longer considered spring chickens of pro gaming) you would need to start very young. But at the age of seven who really knows who they are and what they want to be. And by waiting to reach twenty before you start training for something that you are fully committed to, will not leave you much time to get your 10,000 hours in. In terms of parenting, I would think the most effective solution would be to encourage the child to engage in as many activities as possible for as long as possible, before they fully realise which one they enjoy the most and which could be a suitable career choice. Even then with athletic careers (Olympic Sprinter) and aesthetic careers (exotic film star) you only have a limited time before retirement is on top of you and is riding you back down the passage of decision.
    It makes you wonder, is there any point of trying to play by the rules? 10,000 hours seems like an awful lot of hours and I’m not sure if I’m ready for arthritis just yet, I heard pirates are back in, I think it’s time to whip out the old parrot and take the next boat over to Treasure Island.

Article Tags: 10,000 Hours, Training Methods

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