Combined Events Training: Ignore the stereotypes

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 Like with many sports,  many participants' first experience will be when they are school. For CE athletes will most likely have participated in many sports throughout their childhood and have a feeling of being well-coordinated, fit, fast and strong. A "good all-rounder" springs to mind.
Is this enough? For many athletes that enjoy multiple sports, CE seems like a natural progression. However, as athletes become older and games become more advanced and competitive, the needs for specific adaptations become more prominent. For example: a young man that has been good at rugby between the ages of 10-14 may find at 15+  that their jumping/sprinting capabilities are as not as competitive as they once were for a wide range of reasons, not the least due to their body's physical changes through puberty.
It is almost impossible to know for certain if a youngster is going to be the next big "star", whatever the sport. However there *are* a few key indicators that will indicate success:
Short Term:

1. Height. If the athlete is unusually tall for their age, this will be a particular advantage in the short term. With even rudimentary technical training, a mechanical advantage due to long limb length and smaller implements/hurdles relative to the athlete's size makes the event much easier for them to perform the events quickly.
2. Participation in other sports. Around the ages of 11-12 years old, if an athlete has had a wide variety of sporting experience, this will usually mean they are relatively fit and are capable of rising to the challenge (at least physically) for CE.  However, long term, these sporting endeavours will become one of the biggest obstacles to CE success as the athlete develops.

Long Term:

1. Mental attitude: How does the athlete approach challenge? Do they shy away from challenge because it is something new or is it a deep rooted lack of self-esteem? Are they reckless, oblivious or brave? Usually athletes that adopt positive attitudes to training and competition win in the end regardless of anthropometrics (i.e. how tall/heavy they are or "close" to an idealised physical specimen.(
2. Coachability: Is the athlete willing to learn? Do they want to do CE or are they there because their parents are dropping them off/they've been signed up? Do they want to progress and learn movement skills and physical attributes? If an athlete is unwilling to follow guidance whether they don't trust in it, don't understand it or haven't listened then planning and training sessions will have little to no impact on the athlete's development and performance.

In short; give me a shorter/less traditionally "athletic" athlete that has the right attitude and is coachable than a tall, physically mature athlete  that cannot be coached and has the wrong mental attitude. Over a long period of time the mental attitude/coachability produces better results.