Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

Well from 6, then yeah, I might agree somewhat (though t-ball starts when you're that young.. I know I did). But with regards to what McCoy was saying, it still doesn't add up. Kids don't play soccer from 6-8 and then give it up and start playing baseball and basketball. When McCoy says "It seems like most kids play soccer when they're very young in the U.S. but then switch to other sports as they get older", I think he's talking about playing soccer until the the 13-15 age range.

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

american soccer does not lack in athleticism or fitness. it is technical quality and technical speed/individual tactics. americans do not have the foot skills and this obv and easily understood.

its a bit tougher to explain technical speed and ind tactics. but basically, it means "knowing what your gonna do before you get the ball." it involves creativy and just that feeling of seeing how the play will develop before it does.

to compare, think of how peyton knows where marvins gonna be. watch some lebron or better yet, magic johnsons sick passes. they instantly know how the play is gonna develop and how to manipulate it. thats the most important aspect of soccer and why its a beautiful game. americans suck at this in soccer and thats why they lose.

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

HDPM,

This sounds like you're saying you think there's some weird genetic thing going on that places more athletes that are good at sports other than soccer, but fewer that are naturally good at soccer in the U.S.

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

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I would say most people around the world would concede the America overall has the best Atheletes and without question the best atheletic training.


[/ QUOTE ]

Really? The best baseball players now seem to come, more often than not, from other nations. The rest of the world is rapidly catching up in basketball, something no one ever thought possible. We've always trailed several nations in hockey, and I don't think that's changing any time soon.

-McGee

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would say most people around the world would concede the America overall has the best Atheletes and without question the best atheletic training.


[/ QUOTE ]

Really? The best baseball players now seem to come, more often than not, from other nations. The rest of the world is rapidly catching up in basketball, something no one ever thought possible. We've always trailed several nations in hockey, and I don't think that's changing any time soon.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

And? Does the Dominican Republic produce great hockey players? How about Swedish basketball players? The point is that the US excels at all of these sports whereas most other nations are good/great at one or two of them.

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

steve nash took up basketball because he sucked at soccer. his brother martin is an alright soccer player, but hardly world class. and he's much better than steve.

american athletic dominance is just a product of a large population and wealth. as wealth increases in the rest of the world, american athletic dominance will be less of a sure thing (witness china's recent commitment to dominating the olympics).

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would say most people around the world would concede the America overall has the best Atheletes and without question the best atheletic training.


[/ QUOTE ]

Really? The best baseball players now seem to come, more often than not, from other nations. The rest of the world is rapidly catching up in basketball, something no one ever thought possible. We've always trailed several nations in hockey, and I don't think that's changing any time soon.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

And? Does the Dominican Republic produce great hockey players? How about Swedish basketball players? The point is that the US excels at all of these sports whereas most other nations are good/great at one or two of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Point taken.

However, my object is to dispel the notion that there's something inherent about Americans that makes us superior athletes. We have far more resources here than most everybody else, so we've excelled, comparatively, for longer. As the playing field begins to even out, however, the gap between the U.S. and other nations closes -- rather quickly.

-McGee

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would say most people around the world would concede the America overall has the best Atheletes and without question the best atheletic training.


[/ QUOTE ]

Really? The best baseball players now seem to come, more often than not, from other nations. The rest of the world is rapidly catching up in basketball, something no one ever thought possible. We've always trailed several nations in hockey, and I don't think that's changing any time soon.

-McGee

[/ QUOTE ]

And? Does the Dominican Republic produce great hockey players? How about Swedish basketball players? The point is that the US excels at all of these sports whereas most other nations are good/great at one or two of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't want to be that guy, mostly because I would almost always say the US is the world power when it comes to athletes, but, the first thing that came to me when I read that sentence was that those countries don't have 300 million people in them.

But then I thought, China and India should be soooo much better at sports, they have ~1/3 of the world's population in those two countries.[/off topic]

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

The wealth and population arguments definitely have merit. What about genetics? Many other countries are more genetically homogenous than the U.S. It would make sense then that the U.S. would have more athletes that are genetically inclined to be better at a wider range of sports. I mean you're just not going to get many great Samoan basketball stars (and yes, I realize most ethnic populations aren't as easily typed as Samoans. I was just making the point.).

Re: Do Americans Overestimate How Great Other Athletes Would be at Soc
 

The keys to having a "country" be really good at a certain sport are:

1. a fairly large population
2. a large portion of that country are huge fans of the sport
3. a high enough standard of living so that kids can play that sport

When it comes to soccer, USA has 1 and 3, but not 2. If thye had 2, the USA would compete on the world stage in soccer and perhaps even dominate.

But it ain't gonna happen.