On the heels of my recent post in which I explore the risks and benefits of young athletes specializing early in a sport, a recent article in the New York Times reveals that Jordan Spieth, the PGA’s #1 ranked golfer (at age  22) was not born and raised to be a professional golfer.

As the article notes, “[Spieth] cautioned against focusing only on one sport before one’s teenage years. ‘Until I was 12 or 13, I played more baseball than I did golf,’ he said. Spieth mentioned that he had also played football, basketball and soccer. As a result, he said, ‘I learned how to be a teammate, learned how to fall in love with golf as an athlete who plays golf versus being a golfer who tries to be an athlete.'”

 So, further evidence that it’s possible to become a successful professional athlete without early specialization.