A question
we’ve asked too.

In our own family, and among the players, families, and fans around us, a question keeps coming up: before an athlete became great, what helped them get there?

Were they always the best player? Did they work harder, develop earlier, or find their stride later? Did their parents know sports? Was it natural ability, everyday habits, the right opportunity—or a mix of all those things?

More than 20 years of coaching and international team travel have brought us alongside athletes and families. Before Greatness grows from that experience and our curiosity about what may have made a difference.

We explore these questions through the stories of athletes and their parents, relatives, coaches, teachers, and friends. We want to understand what growing up actually looked like: the practice and play, support and setbacks, choices and opportunities.

As the stories accumulate, we’ll look for patterns, differences, and surprises. We leave room for uncertainty, hindsight, and the possibility that there was no obvious early signal or deliberate plan.