Being authentic with who you are can be beneficial to someone's athletic career. Most people are so in question of who they are or inauthentic, not maliciously, but just because society has beat them down. They choose the path that offers them the least amount of criticism and then they end up where everybody else ends up.
Remember those Public Service Announcements that proclaimed, "Knowledge is Power?" Andy Frisella says it's not true. Education is not complete without experience and application. Mere information will do nothing for you. You've got to put it into action.