There are good sportsmen and then there are great sportsmen. Do you ever ask yourself what is it that separates one from the other? Hard work, passion, belief and sacrifice are a few words that come to mind, and then there is consistency.

Consistency: “The ability to maintain a particular standard or repeat a particular task with minimal variation” — and, in the case of the greats, at a very high standard.

When I think of great I think of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, Diego Maradona and Pele. If I thinking locally, names such as Kavin Smith, Clyde Best, Shaun Goater, Alma Hunt and Clarence Hill come to mind. What do all of these men have in common? They were all exceptional in their respective sports.

To be good is easy. You just have to have a little talent, train regularly and perform fairly consistently. However, to be great is slightly different: those who are great often go over and beyond the call of duty and perform consistently, day in and day out. Most times, they are blessed with talent, but yet they still work exceptionally hard to become that much better.

I recall a conversation I had with Tendulkar when he was on one of his visits to Bermuda. I asked him, “What is it that separates you from all the rest of the players?” His reply was, “Not a day goes by that I do not pick up my bat and do something with it.” It is that commitment, or dedication to training, that allowed his game to elevate to heights that no other could emulate.

Similar to the story I heard about Goater and how obsessed he was with football as a youngster. They say not a day would go by that you did not see him with his football down at Bernard Park, whether he was by himself, with David and Andrew Bascome, or with Wendell Baxter. He just loved to train and play football daily. That’s why it didn’t surprise me to see him reach the heights that he did. I would never forget the day he scored against Manchester United; it’s the one day I celebrated against my own team, but he made me very proud.

The question is what is it that fuels these exceptional sportsmen to be great? Is it their desire or should I say passion to want to be the best at what they do? Muhammad Ali often called himself “The Greatest” and was known worldwide as such. Was it because he was or was it because that’s what he believed? Ali believed in his ability when several others often doubted him, but time and time again, opponent after opponent, he would prove his doubters wrong.

One thing that stands out in my mind is watching Floyd Mayweather’s pre-fight training sessions. Whenever he has a mega-bout they always do a build-up and show clips of his training routine. What he puts his body through in terms of preparation is unbelievable. He is cut from the Muhammad Ali cloth of trash-talking, but he has that self-belief, a belief system that he cannot and will not be beaten. It’s that mentality, preparation and ability that makes him great.

Who will be the next Alma “Champ” Hunt? Is there another Clarence Hill or Kavin Smith around? Sure there is, but the question is, do they have the work ethic, the passion and the belief system that it will take to achieve what they achieved and more.

All of these sportsmen are great because they were able to display a high level of consistency throughout their careers, which is not easy considering the level of competition they were at.

So it is easy to be good, but it is hard to be great. Good sportsmen are often talented, but do not realise their true potential. Great sportsmen wake up with one thing on their mind and that is to improve.

So sportsmen, ask yourself: do you want to be good or do you want to be great? The rest is up to you.

Quote of the week: “Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”

— Muhammad Ali