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re: Title IX the reason the USA is a women's but not a men's power...
Posted on 7/6/15 at 8:30 pm to BleedPurpleGold
Posted on 7/6/15 at 8:30 pm to BleedPurpleGold
Your point is good but I think you're tending towards equating athleticism with freakish physical traits.
My biggest observation of the physical build of most world class soccer players is that they tend to be very average. You have some outliers that are quite tall but most tend to be in the "average male height" category... weights also tend to be pretty "average"... in fact, they often tend to slot right into the "normal weight" range if you calculate their BMI.
But, having a freakish physical build doesn't make someone more athletic. Lionel Messi is the definition of "average" physically... until he starts running. He's not blazing fast but his agility and ability to change directions would make most NFL running backs jealous.
The real point, though, is that we don't need our country's "best athletes" (as defined by their performance in sports that aren't soccer like football, basketball, etc) to field a top class soccer team... we need great soccer players... and great soccer players are developed, not born.
My biggest observation of the physical build of most world class soccer players is that they tend to be very average. You have some outliers that are quite tall but most tend to be in the "average male height" category... weights also tend to be pretty "average"... in fact, they often tend to slot right into the "normal weight" range if you calculate their BMI.
But, having a freakish physical build doesn't make someone more athletic. Lionel Messi is the definition of "average" physically... until he starts running. He's not blazing fast but his agility and ability to change directions would make most NFL running backs jealous.
The real point, though, is that we don't need our country's "best athletes" (as defined by their performance in sports that aren't soccer like football, basketball, etc) to field a top class soccer team... we need great soccer players... and great soccer players are developed, not born.
3
Posted on 7/6/15 at 8:40 pm to MustangReb
That was literally exactly my point. 
I listed all of those players as proof that claiming our best (traditional athletic concept) players are playing other sports is laughable. This is how most Americans see it. We don't need innate physical talent. We need groomed technicality. You teach that, you aren't born with it.
I listed all of those players as proof that claiming our best (traditional athletic concept) players are playing other sports is laughable. This is how most Americans see it. We don't need innate physical talent. We need groomed technicality. You teach that, you aren't born with it.
This post was edited on 7/6/15 at 8:41 pm
Posted on 7/8/15 at 6:27 pm to MustangReb
quote:
But, having a freakish physical build doesn't make someone more athletic. Lionel Messi is the definition of "average" physically... until he starts running. He's not blazing fast but his agility and ability to change directions would make most NFL running backs jealous
I'm not sure he's not blazing fast, his 10 and 20 yard splits are or at least were at one point probably NFL level, maybe even faster since he's so light.
Posted on 7/8/15 at 6:31 pm to MustangReb
quote:
Your point is good but I think you're tending towards equating athleticism with freakish physical traits.
My biggest observation of the physical build of most world class soccer players is that they tend to be very average. You have some outliers that are quite tall but most tend to be in the "average male height" category... weights also tend to be pretty "average"... in fact, they often tend to slot right into the "normal weight" range if you calculate their BMI.
But, having a freakish physical build doesn't make someone more athletic. Lionel Messi is the definition of "average" physically... until he starts running. He's not blazing fast but his agility and ability to change directions would make most NFL running backs jealous.
The real point, though, is that we don't need our country's "best athletes" (as defined by their performance in sports that aren't soccer like football, basketball, etc) to field a top class soccer team... we need great soccer players... and great soccer players are developed, not born.
Actually, this does bring up an interesting point-- we could very well have some guys who if they had developed properly and played soccer would have been world class who maybe topped out as say a great college QB or a back up college PG-- guys with all the speed and agility you could want with high athletic IQs who don't meet the relatively rigid height/weight standards of elite Basketball and Football. This is why a viable highpaying MLS is important-- if the kid whose the star 5'8" PG in HS knows he can make millions in soccer instead of getting a preferred walk on offer to a Sunbelt school maybe he takes a different path.
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