AW promotion: We look at what sets some students apart for professional careers and triumph

Succeeding in any sport at the College level, especially in the USA, is typically the blueprint that you have to follow if you hope to make it big in the professional arena. This is the same with basketball, tennis, football and athletics. College athletes with their sights set on athletic greatness and a potential career in their sports have to regulate themselves to succeed.

This article aims to focus on the sport of athletics and shed light on some of the characteristics of successful athletes, outlining their dedication to training, having an eye for the sport, navigating their fighting spirit and staying level-headed.

Dedicated to Training

One major characteristic of successful athletes is their dedication to training. This is what will set them apart from their peers and hopefully take them on the road to triumph. This is the same with athletics, as it is with hockey or basketball. Athletes who perform well during their college basketball season, for example, are going to have a far better chance of being chosen as the first draft pick, just like a college athlete who is already breaking records in the semi-professional 100m track race, will also have a better chance at being chosen to represent their country in the Olympics, for example.

All of this comes down to training. Athletes who can keep their eye on the ball, dedicate themselves to training, know how to recover, maintain consistency through the year and put training as their number one are likely the ones who are set to be successful.

An Eye for the Sport

Another characteristic of successful athletes is those who have a knack for the sport, organically. Those who know when it's time to overtake, when it's time to lay back and when it's time to attack and make it over the finish line first. For those who have a clear understanding of the sport and how it moves without ever needing it to be explained to them – those are the ones who do well.

A Fighting Spirit

In addition to all this, athletes also need to include a fighting spirit as an important characteristic of success. You have to want it. You have to think about it all day, train for it all day but then also have the confidence to believe that you can achieve your wildest goals and actually go for it.

There will always be other athletes that try to intimate you or show you that they're better than you but it is your job to make sure that you never allow yourself to fall into the trap of believing them. Many don't know this but there is a lot of mental capacity that comes with achieving success in sports, which is further outlined below.

Calm and Level-Headedness

If you want to do well in professional sports you also need to have an air of calmness and level-headedness. This is important in the big races, to make sure that you stay focussed and perform well. It's also crucial in training so that you can get the most out of those hours without becoming too emotional. Furthermore, it also works well when it comes to brand deals that you may sign when you're professional. If you are too quick to respond you might forget to look into the fine print of the contract – calmness and level-headedness are your secret superpowers.