Skills VS Abilities

       Many people think that skills and abilities are the same thing and to a certain extent they are correct.  Having inherited abilities will assist you in having a higher ceiling of learned skills.  If you don’t possess the appropriate abilities there are certain skills that are unattainable.  If a man is on a mission to dunk a basketball, but does not have to ability to jump high; no matter how hard he works it will be really challenging to achieve his goal.  Some people have all the ability in the world, but never practice to turn it into polished skills.  Skills and abilities are very similar, but have two completely different meanings.

       

If a person has a lot of fast twitch fibers in his legs and also embodies good coordination, then it is more likely that he has the inherent ability of becoming a sprinter. This does not directly imply that he is going to become a skilled sprinter. Ability is the generic makeup of a person that is be inherited from one’s parents. Ability can be perceptual  motor in nature.  In many instances, abilities can also be a combination of both perceptual and motor attributes (psychomotor)1. It is also important to note that abilities are the underlying attributes that bring out or make up the skills of an individual2.  LeBron James has extraordinary strength and uncanny speed and leaps, but that didn’t make him a great basketball player.  He combined his God given abilities with loads of practice to elevate his skills,(dribbling, shooting and dunking) to the level that makes him a phenomenal basketball player.

       

Skill is a composite of abilities, techniques and knowledge. These factors enable an athlete to  do tasks at a higher degree or standard. These are more goal directed and is seen through improvements in one’s performance2.  Making a basketball shot is not an ability.  When LeBron James first touched a basketball, he didn’t just throw it up and successfully make twenty shots in a row. With practice and correct coaching on his technique he began to improve over time.  Having the ability to accomplish something will only allow you to achieve basic level tasks. If you want to become exceptional at anything, your goal should be to turn abilities into optimal skills.

1Practical Application for Long-Term Athletic Development (NSCA)

http://www.nsca.com/education/articles/practical-application-for-long-term-athletic-development/

2Difference Between Ability and Skill | Difference Between | Ability vs Skill (Difference Between Ability and Skill | Difference Between | Ability vs Skill)

http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-ability-and-skill/