Martin Luther King once received a C+ in public speaking, while one of Einstein’s school reports famously ran: “He will never amount to anything.”
And Shakira was banned from her school choir because her music teacher thought the future Hips Don’t Lie singer sounded “like a goat”.
For sure, it can be difficult to predict how youngsters will do.
But occasionally some forecasts do come good.
After Edinburgh played the Ospreys in Swansea in the spring of 2006, some of the Scottish team’s officials were startled by the potential of Alun Wyn Jones and Ian Evans.
The pair were operating against a gnarled visiting pack and there were several dust-ups on the day, but the then new boys stood their ground.
“You have two outstanding players there,” one of the Edinburgh party told Ospreys chief Roger Blyth.
“They’re going to serve you well for a long time.”
Thirteen years on, Jones is still going strong for the Welsh region and Evans is remembered fondly.
Predictions are being made about others now.
Which brings us to two of the brightest young prospects in the Welsh game.
Will Griffiths is only 20, yet he is being spoken of as a lad who could go a long way. The Ospreys second row has led Wales at age-grade level and is mature beyond his years, a player who plays for the team rather than himself.
Dewi Lake is a shade younger, at 19, but the 6ft 1in, 17st 2lb hooker has captained Wales Under-20s and already made his Ospreys debut.
Both players have also featured in the Welsh Premiership.
Swansea RFC director of rugby Richard Lancaster has worked with Griffiths and Lake and says each player has the potential to succeed.
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WILL GRIFFITHS
Too many good things are being said about the Gowerton product for him not to have a huge amount going for him.
Many talk about his tireless appetite for work and his ball skills.
All talk about his leadership, a point Lancaster picks up on.
“He’s very good," says the Whites team boss.
“I don’t want to gloss it up, but he has all the attributes that you’d want a future Welsh captain to have.
“Not only is he a leader who’s an athlete, he’s also very skillful and plays the game with a bit of a swagger — a nice confidence, rather than arrogance.
“He’s a really exciting prospect and I think there’s every chance he’ll bank some experience with the Ospreys next year.
“Even at the tender age of 20 he looks good enough to be an Ospreys regular.”
Alun Wyn Jones is a great believer that youngsters need to find their own identity and make their own way in the game.
But imagine how much it would benefit Griffiths to spend a season or two operating alongside Jones.
“Will is in that mould,” said Lancaster.
“He is a leader who points the way. He just needs to mature, as any kid would, and spend time in the game.
“He could become something special.”
DEWI LAKE
A converted back-row forward, Lake is adept at winning turnovers and has a big carrying game.
When the former schoolboy gymnast skippered Wales Under-20s against Ireland recently, he looked that keen to inspire his side he almost appeared to be trying to do too much.
But his potential shone through.
There were the tractor-like charges forward, scattering would-be tacklers, and hunger and technique at the breakdown, with opposition ball carriers finding themselves in danger of being dispossessed before they knew what was going on.
Areas to work-on included his throwing, the curse of pretty much every former back rower who has tried his luck at hooker, but, the positives dwarfed the negatives.
“He’s an outstanding prospect,” says Lancaster.
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“There were question marks over the nuts and bolts of his game in terms of such things as throwing in, but no rugby player is the finished article at the age of 19.
“Dewi’s had a run of games in the Premiership at a good standard, he’s established himself and taken that form into the Six Nations.
“We’re really, really pleased with him.
“He comes back into the side this week and we are looking forward to him returning.
“He’s a physical specimen who has all the attributes and, if he keeps working and developing, he can go all the way.”
VERDICT
Perhaps the key thing with young players is that they get the mental side right before anything else and develop the all-important will to succeed.
The footballer Dimitar Berbatov once said: “Young players try and imitate the best players like Ronaldo. They try to imitate the hair, the clothes, the cars, the tricks. I try to tell them how hard Cristiano Ronaldo trained in training and after training. He only wanted to be the best. Everything else came after.”
Alun Wyn Jones wasn’t born with that kind of mindset.
But when this writer spoke to him when he was 18 he was blessed with a surprising self-belief and it was clear he was serious about succeeding. His determination was obvious even then.
Griffiths and Lake are said to be similarly intent on going places.
Perhaps the last word should go to Lancaster: “They’re good lads who are willing to learn. That's always a great sign.”
