A Nine Year Old goes pro in soccer

[MikeWaters]

size doesn't matter much at the age of 12.

try putting your NFL conernback on the field and see if he can spring for > 1.5 hr, and do the required running.

Everybody knows if you aren't in great cardio shape, football and baseball are your games.

I don't know what it means to be the best "athlete". Why is the USA national basketball team consistently losing? because we don't ahve the best athletes? If we do have the best athletes, maybe we need to change the definition of athleticism.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

size doesn't matter much at the age of 12.

try putting your NFL conernback on the field and see if he can spring for > 1.5 hr, and do the required running.

Everybody knows if you aren't in great cardio shape, football and baseball are your games.

I don't know what it means to be the best "athlete". Why is the USA national basketball team consistently losing? because we don't ahve the best athletes? If we do have the best athletes, maybe we need to change the definition of athleticism.

I'm not cracking on soccer players. I'm cracking on U.S. soccer players.

We put our athletes into other sports. Other countries put their athletes in soccer. If Didier Drogba was born in the U.S. he'd be playing for the Chargers right now not Chelsea FC.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

I'm not cracking on soccer players. I'm cracking on U.S. soccer players.

We put our athletes into other sports. Other countries put their athletes in soccer. If Didier Drogba was born in the U.S. he'd be playing for the Chargers right now not Chelsea FC.

placekicker?

a good number of wonderful soccer players would never make it in NFL or NBA because of their body type and size. nothing to do with athleticism.

these players are in gyms in the USA. They could be playing soccer fi they were born in Europe.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

placekicker?

a good number of wonderful soccer players would never make it in NFL or NBA because of their body type and size. nothing to do with athleticism.

these players are in gyms in the USA. They could be playing soccer fi they were born in Europe.

No, switch him with Randy Moss at birth and Drogba would be the NFL star and Moss would be Chelsea's striker.

Drop an NFL cornerback, an NBA point guard, and your midlevel American MSL guy in England at birth. Two of the three end up playing in the Premiere league and one of them gives up soccer when he finds he doesn't have the talent for it.

The dudes at your gym would still be wannabees.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

No, switch him with Randy Moss at birth and Drogba would be the NFL star and Moss would be Chelsea's striker.

Drop an NFL cornerback, an NBA point guard, and your midlevel American MSL guy in England at birth. Two of the three end up playing in the Premiere league and one of them gives up soccer when he finds he doesn't have the talent for it.

The dudes at your gym would still be wannabees.

assuming Adu becomes a bonafide star in soccer, which is not unreasonable.

what other sport would he have played?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

assuming Adu becomes a bonafide star in soccer, which is not unreasonable.

what other sport would he have played?

5'6" black cornerback playing for BYU doesn't count.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

assuming Adu becomes a bonafide star in soccer, which is not unreasonable.

what other sport would he have played?

Freddy Adu might have ended up as one of the guys in your gym had he been born to a typical American family and had typical upraising. He would have tried to make it in football, basketball, or baseball and would have made it at least through a high school level before his height limited him. Probably never would have played soccer past age 10.

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by jay santos

Freddy Adu might have ended up as one of the guys in your gym had he been born to a typical American family and had typical upraising. He would have tried to make it in football, basketball, or baseball and would have made it at least through a high school level before his height limited him. Probably never would have played soccer past age 10.

I win.

Lalalala-lalalalala.

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I win.

Lalalala-lalalalala.

You got me on the point that there are a handful of 5'6 to 5'9 guys that have world class professional athletic talent that got shut out of American pro sports that maybe could have made it in soccer. True.

My main point which I'm quite passionate about is that U.S. will never field truly great soccer teams until your stud athletes in highs schools across the nation are playing soccer as a primary sport. IMHO, the scrubs that can't make it in football, basketball, and baseball are the guys pursuing soccer to higher levels.

I have a ton of data points but case in point, my bro played football, basketball, and soccer as a kid. He quit basketball in junior high not being able to make the team (reason = lack of quickness and athleticism compared to kids at his position). He quit football after 9th grade season due to being deep in the depth chart at his position (reason = lack of speed for his size or lack of size for his speed whichever). He went on to become an all-state soccer player. How good would have the football QB or basketball point guard have been in soccer relative to my bro if they focused on it?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by jay santos

You got me on the point that there are a handful of 5'6 to 5'9 guys that have world class professional athletic talent that got shut out of American pro sports that maybe could have made it in soccer. True.

My main point which I'm quite passionate about is that U.S. will never field truly great soccer teams until your stud athletes in highs schools across the nation are playing soccer as a primary sport. IMHO, the scrubs that can't make it in football, basketball, and baseball are the guys pursuing soccer to higher levels.

I have a ton of data points but case in point, my bro played football, basketball, and soccer as a kid. He quit basketball in junior high not being able to make the team (reason = lack of quickness and athleticism compared to kids at his position). He quit football after 9th grade season due to being deep in the depth chart at his position (reason = lack of speed for his size or lack of size for his speed whichever). He went on to become an all-state soccer player. How good would have the football QB or basketball point guard have been in soccer relative to my bro if they focused on it?

There needs to be a cultural shift, where the cool kids and the best athletes choose soccer over the others.

I could see it inner city, because in theory it would be cheaper to fund soccer as opposed to football.

Or I could see some yuppy school districts opting for it.