Who is the greatest athlete of all time? Take your pick. Once you have a name, ask yourself why? Beyond their physical abilities and talent, what sets them apart from the pack? What makes a great athlete?

It’s a question that IRONMAN Master Coach Matt Dixon had the privilege of asking the committed group of young athletes with the BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM. 

The team is made up of student-athletes, with lofty aspirations of their own, and includes some of the top talent in American Mountain Biking.

With answers like Lebron James, Serena Williams, Michael Phelps, and Lionel Messi, it was clear that each athlete shared a specific set of characteristics and traits that are at the heart of elite sports performance. 

Matt believes any athlete can use these trainable traits to achieve their highest level of performance possible. 

With many of the young athletes looking to develop into professional riders and find their own success in sport, Matt had the opportunity to speak to the group and share his perspective on what it takes to build a pro career as an endurance athlete.

What emerged from their discussion was a framework that is applicable across many sports and is accessible to everyone, from young and aspiring athletes to parents, coaches, and even seasoned athletes. 

In today’s episode of the Purple Patch Podcast, Matt breaks down his presentation to BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM and lays out five principles that you as an athlete can deploy and apply today in order to elevate your performance.

"There are very few guarantees in life, but I do guarantee you this -- if you take these principles that we talk through today, and you apply them, I guarantee you that you will progress in your ability to meet your trained potential with your race day performance on an endurance fashion. Because we are after long-term sustained high performance, that's what it means to become a great no matter what, or at least your version of great." - 15:53

We hope the insights gleaned from today's show will help you guide your young athletes or assist you in your own performance journey.

Episode Timestamps

00:00 - 5:41 - Welcome and Episode Introduction

05:48 - 9:43 - Matt's News-ings

9:51 - 43:40 - The Meat and Potatoes - Episode 258: Developing the Youth Athlete - A Perspective from Matt Dixon

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