Arrogant US soccer fans--another soccer post

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I would state the sports with the least talent are swimming (I was a swimmer I should know), tennis and golf.

I'm really curious to know what you mean by this Archaea. What talent do you feel is lacking in swimming? My kid is a swimmer and it has done amazing things for his fitness levels and has had a lot of carry over into other areas. His school recently did the "beep" test (the one they do in NFL training camp) and he won for his whole grade.

Are you saying that swimming is a sport where one succeeds because no one with talent is playing? I think you of all people ought to know better than that.

[YOhio]

If soccer is ever going to get big in the U.S., black kids from urban areas will have to push it forward.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

I'm really curious to know what you mean by this Archaea. What talent do you feel is lacking in swimming? My kid is a swimmer and it has done amazing things for his fitness levels and has had a lot of carry over into other areas. His school recently did the "beep" test (the one they do in NFL training camp) and he won for his whole grade.

Are you saying that swimming is a sport where one succeeds because no one with talent is playing? I think you of all people ought to know better than that.

Swimmers are probably more fit on average than in any other sport.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

I'm really curious to know what you mean by this Archaea. What talent do you feel is lacking in swimming? My kid is a swimmer and it has done amazing things for his fitness levels and has had a lot of carry over into other areas. His school recently did the "beep" test (the one they do in NFL training camp) and he won for his whole grade.

Are you saying that swimming is a sport where one succeeds because no one with talent is playing? I think you of all people ought to know better than that.

the pool of kids whom it would even cross their minds to go into swimming is miniscule. Somwhere on the order of 1%. Much lower than other sports.

There are lots of sports that fall in this category. Like the stupid one with the sticks with nets.

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

Swimmers are probably more fit on average than in any other sport.

I think this is probably true. I'd add wrestlers to that list.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

swimming is in the same category. only kids of yuppies do swimming.

Not here in northern California. Everybody, it seems, has kids on swim team. Its like little league where i live.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

I'm really curious to know what you mean by this Archaea. What talent do you feel is lacking in swimming? My kid is a swimmer and it has done amazing things for his fitness levels and has had a lot of carry over into other areas. His school recently did the "beep" test (the one they do in NFL training camp) and he won for his whole grade.

Are you saying that swimming is a sport where one succeeds because no one with talent is playing? I think you of all people ought to know better than that.

What I'm saying is that more athletically talented kids try out for football, basketball and track.

Many average middle class white kids try out for swimming. That defined me. A talented kid in swimming will rise quickly.

Swimmers are fit, because of the intensity of the training. However, if your kid is as talented as you say, he should make a splash on the national scene.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by YOhio

If soccer is ever going to get big in the U.S., black kids from urban areas will have to push it forward.

The talent pool that produces our world class athletes in football, basketball, and track will have to be the same talent pool that produces our soccer players. (That's how you say it without it sounding racist)

[SteelBlue]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Swimmers are fit, because of the intensity of the training. However, if your kid is as talented as you say, he should make a splash on the national scene.

Woah there, I don't remember saying he was a national type talent. Only that he's become a very athletic kid and I give the props to swimming. One thing that I think Mike doesn't realize is how the time standards work in swimming. Yes, you could walk into a small meet and find a lot of kids with very little talent and dominate. But at the end of the day your winning times will correspond to a national standard and will garner respect only if they exceed a certain standard.

As you said Arch, talent does rise quickly and I agree with that. I've learned over the past couple of years that there's swimming and then there's swimming. But when you start getting into those final heats there is a lot of talent in States like California, Texas, Florida etc...

Yes, there are kids in swimming who do it because it's an individual sport and they may not be talented, but these are not the kids who are winning.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by SteelBlue

Woah there, I don't remember saying he was a national type talent. Only that he's become a very athletic kid and I give the props to swimming. One thing that I think Mike doesn't realize is how the time standards work in swimming. Yes, you could walk into a small meet and find a lot of kids with very little talent and dominate. But at the end of the day your winning times will correspond to a national standard and will garner respect only if they exceed a certain standard.

As you said Arch, talent does rise quickly and I agree with that. I've learned over the past couple of years that there's swimming and then there's swimming. But when you start getting into those final heats there is a lot of talent in States like California, Texas, Florida etc...

Yes, there are kids in swimming who do it because it's an individual sport and they may not be talented, but these are not the kids who are winning.

The talent at the top is good, but it's not very deep.

The good thing about swimming is it rewards hard work. You can and will improve if you work hard and often.

And if you don't have the times, you don't do well nationally.

One difference I found is that regional kids, like myself, worked just as hard as the national kids, but the national kids just had more talent.

We had a few national kids, and I'd whoop them in practice but not at the meet.