How to father a genius

1: There are no genetic geniuses

It’s tempting to think that genius is woven into the DNA, that you too could have won the Ballon d’Or three years in a row, if only you’d been born with Messi’s genes. But unfortunately for your ego, that’s simply not true. “So-called innate traits and skills don’t really exist,” says David Shenk, author of The Genius In Us All. “Everything is developmental. Intelligence develops, personalities develop and physical skills develop.”

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Genes aren't a fixed blueprint for how someone grows up; they're more like a jukebox of potential characteristics that are switched on and off according to upbringing and experience. "The expression of genes are mediated by the environment," explains Dr Llewelyn Roderick, of Cambridge University's Babraham Institute. Which means that just because you close your eyes every time you head a football, teach your kids right and you could still create a genius.

2: Be an earlybird

So how exactly do you craft a genius? Well, your best bet's starting early. "Up until your teenage years, you learn better," explains Roderick. As you age, your brain becomes more fixed and it's harder to lay down the the neural connections vital to learning new skills. "Children who start playing chess before the age of 12 are 20 times more likely to become grandmasters," explains Dr Fernand Gobet, chess International Master and professor of cognitive psychology at Brunel University.

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Five-year-old Messi was already playing for his local team. At the same age Mozart was composing and Tiger Woods was splashed across Golf Digest. So if you want your offspring to stand a a chance at genius, getting them started young is the key. "Children who wish to be sporting geniuses would have to start dedicating themselves to a sport before the age of 10," explains Dr Peter Hopsicker, professor of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University. "The later one starts, the deeper into or past their innate physical prime they move."

3: Practice, practice, practice

As the old adage goes, practice makes perfect. "10,000 hours of dedicated practice is necessary before genius-like abilities can be demonstrated,” says Hopsicker. And it can’t just be hammering in half volleys from the edge of the box. To become a genius, you need to engage in what psychologists call ‘deliberate practice’ – time focused on weaknesses and challenging skills.

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Psychologists define deliberate practice as the time spent on less enjoyable activities, making a conscious effort to improve elements you're worst at. "Practice to improve your weaknesses," explains Gobet. "And have a coach to identify specific areas that need to be developed."

So if you want to breed the next Rory McIlroy, don’t just let them blast balls off the tee. Tricky lies, horror putts and monster bunkers are the things that’ll pitch them above the rest – the more prepared they are to face challenges, the easier it'll be to manage the pressure in competition situations. And while it might not be fun, when they’re lifting the Claret Jug it’ll be worth all those hours in the rain trudging up and down freezing fairways.

4: Location, location, location

"All genetic influence is in concert with external environments," explains Shenk. "Every highly-developed skill is actually the result of an athlete's entire life – an accumulation of millions of tiny lessons learned from the moment of conception." Which means the place you call home can determine your child's genius potential, before they're even born.

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Where you live, what you eat and how you’re taught can have a profound effect on children's development. Australian research suggest that sports stars most often come from regional towns, where they eat more healthily, have more space to play and are exposed to a wider range of sports than city kids.

Nutrition is also vital for maximising brain development. If your kids only eat junk food, they won't get the full range of amino acids needed to develop healthy brains, says professor Sophie von Stumm.

Oh, and it helps if you make a lot of money, too. “Those with an economic advantage that exposes them to more opportunities, and allows them to fully devote themselves to their preferred pastime, are in a better position to become genius material,” explains Hopsicker.

5: Make sacrifices

Working that hard means missing out on a lot. To become a genius they’ll have to sacrifice free time, relationships, family – all of those things that distract the elites, but that the rest of us call ‘life’.

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“To stay focused on a specific activity, perfect it, be the best at it, never stray from it or be from distracted from it – that’s the sort of dedication the sporting genius needs,” says Hopsicker.

Behind every one of Messi’s effortlessly slinking runs lies hours spent on cold, wet training grounds, practicing the things he hates at the expense of everything. And is that really worth £30m a year, global adoration and waking up to Antonella Roccuzzo every morning?

It is, isn’t it?

If 10,000 hours seems daunting, motivate yourself with MH’s guides to getting up and getting going:

Think like an Olympian

Endurance training psychology

Maximise your motivation

Words: Tom Banham