Tiger Woods, one of the most successful golfers of all time, and Roger Federer, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, have very different development stories. While Tiger specialized early, Roger went through a sampling period, attempting and enjoying multiple different sports.

In golf, a kind learning environment, there is a close match between information received and inferences made. In tennis, a slightly more wicked environment, there is a mismatch between those two things. But compared to life, which can be the most wicked learning environment, tennis is kind.

Whereas in tennis balls are either in or out, and the rules remain consistent, in life rules may change and distinctions are not often binary. Feedback from decisions made is often delayed or unclear. When developing as a person, not necessarily as an athlete, creating endurance and the skillset for a wicked learning environment is the goal. Sampling periods and wider experiences contribute to that type of strength.