"What's next?"

About a month ago, a young teen came into the club to join our high-performance clinic. It didn't take long for us to realize she was a solid player; she had good technique, footwork, and a good attitude to boot. But that wasn't what impressed me the most.

Her mindset was what intrigued me the most. At just 14, she was out-competing everyone in attendance. It was a thinner day, and I wish we'd had our top players there, but even with the smaller numbers, she was still beating kids several years her senior. She's likely had more training than most of them, which definitely helps. I can't help but give credit to her, though, for distinguishing herself from the rest.

When a drill was finished, she didn't reach for her phone. When rules were explained, she understood quickly because she listened closely. When constraints were absent from a drill, she asked why. And, simply, she wanted more. "What's next?" was how she ended a drill. Negativity on court? She'd never heard of it. And when clinic was over and optional fitness began, the time when most kids leave hurriedly, she was asking her mom for permission to stay.

Talent is Overrated

How do we - coaches, parents, mentors - cultivate this mindset? Is it possible to teach it, or is it something you have to be born with? Is that talent?

I recently finished Geoff Colvin's "Talent is Overrated." Colvin believes talent is not the most important factor for success, and after reading his book, I agree with him. Who's to say if that girl is talented? All I know from interacting with her for those couple of hours is that she wanted to be great, and that's more important than talent to me.

If you've ever thought about greatness - what it means, what it takes to achieve - then I can't recommend Colvin's book enough. It covers everything from mindsets to running a business. I'm sure you can learn something from it.