If you spend enough time around elite athletes, you start to notice something: greatness rarely looks the way people expect. The people who make it through hell week for the Navy Seals aren’t often the most physically fit, it is the mentally fit – It’s not just speed, size, or talent. It’s the mindset behind all of it — the quiet habits, the internal standards, the way they see the game differently from everyone else.
Parents often ask, “What actually separates the best players?”
After spending significant time around elite athletes, you start to see the same intangible traits show up again and again.
They’re the Biggest Fans
This always surprises people, but it’s almost universally true: The biggest fans are often the best players.
They watch film.
They study the pros.
They lean forward on the sideline instead of checking their phone.
They appreciate the details — footwork, stick protection, off-ball movement, communication, ground balls, team defense, spacing — the things casual players never think about.
They don’t just play the sport. They consume it.
They Compete at Everything
Elite athletes don’t turn competitiveness on and off. It’s baked into who they are.
They compete in warm ups.
They compete in conditioning.
They compete in wall ball.
If you tell them it doesn’t matter, they’ll quietly decide that it does.
This isn’t ego — it’s a personal standard. They want to win the next rep (pun intended), the next drill, the next moment, because stacking small wins becomes a habit.
They Operate With Discipline, Not Motivation
Motivation is inconsistent. Discipline isn’t.
Elite athletes show up when they’re tired, when it’s cold, when they’re frustrated, and when no one’s watching. Discipline is about “saying no”, and elite athletes have the discipline to “say no” to themselves when they’re feeling too cold, tired, or lazy to put in the extra reps.
What looks like “natural talent” is usually thousands of intentional reps done long before anyone was paying attention.
Their Confidence Is Hard-Earned
Confidence is earned – the player who has put in hundreds of hours of work in the backyard has earned the right to play truly confidently.
Elite athletes believe in themselves because they’ve put in the work. They trust their preparation. They know what they’re capable of because they’ve felt it, over and over, in training.
This confidence isn’t swagger — it’s stability.
It keeps them calm under pressure.
It keeps them hungry after success.
And this confidence is built, not born.
Why These Traits Matter for Young Players
Most kids don’t naturally have these traits. They develop them by watching — and working with — people who do.
That’s why training with high-level athletes matters. It’s not just the mechanics or the drills. It’s the exposure to habits, standards, and mindset. When young players see how elite athletes think, prepare, and carry themselves, it changes the way they approach their own development.
At NextRep, that’s what we want kids to learn: not just how to play the game, but how the best players think about it.