Very good article. I really related to it from my former athletic days. My college football team was pretty decent, and one of the opposing coaches stated that we had some kind of magic up there. Our two-a-day t-shirts had the quote "no magic, just hard work". I also think of a quote that goes with what you said about "practice makes perfect", we were always told that practice does not make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect, which is true. If you are practicing the wrong techniques (batting practice, football practice, fly casting, fly tying, etc...) then all of the practice in the world will not improve your skills, only if you are practicing the proper techniques will you gain skill. I just went back a few years there to when sports were my life.
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A bum-legged old man and a drunk. That's all you got?
That's WHAT I got.
"I don't drink anymore, I freeze it and eat it like a popsicle"