[Michael's thoughts on track and field athletes being "lost" to other sports below.]
In some ways this is an odd conversation because it implies that it is somehow "better" to be an Olympic athlete in track than it is to be an ordinary hs athlete in baseball. While it certainly may be to all of us, to many it may not be. Try this test on your self (with appologies to Mike Rohl--but this may explain some attitudes): if you thought you could win an Olympic medal in racewalking would you do it? I know many distance runners (and sprinters and field people) who would answer no. Not too many non racewalkers seem to worry about talent being lost to distance running. I know Michael wasn't trying to make an argument about values, just about the effect of other sports on distance running, I just thought it was an interesting way to think of value. Paul "I like to think I was lost to Ultimate Fighting" Talbot On Mon, 12 Nov 2001, Michael Contopoulos wrote: > Oleg, > > I agreed with everything you said until, > > <<If basketball didn't "steal" Paul Tergat, swimming didn't "steal" Alan > Webb and triathlons didn't "steal" Lance Armstrong, do we really believe > that soccer is "stealing" the next Bill Rodgers or Frank Shorter?>> > > Yes, I believe that even though these runners and one biker made it through > to another sport, many do not. The old school record holder in my hs was a > soccer player... who knows what he could have done if he concentrated solely > on running- 4:10 or faster in hs?? I think there are many people, even > baseball players (as I myself used to be one), that are lost in other > sports, trying to make it on a field when they could be excelling on the > track. I can think of at least 2 other athletes in my hs class that could > have made great runners... one is currently playing soccer in Ireland and > had a stint with the MLS... he probably, had he wanted to, could have gone > out there on any given day and run sub 4:20 in hs and mybe sub 1:55... off > of no specific track training whatsoever... who knows where he would be > today had he spent 4 years in hs concentraing on running and another 4 or 5 > in college. The other was a tennis player. His father was a 47 second open > 400 guy (on cinder... not bad for a white guy) and this kid was just as > quick... only thing was, he could run a mile in gym class (without ever > running more than a mile in his life) in like 4:40 and not even breathe. > Talk about talent. I wouldn't have been surprised if he could have been a > 4:0 low guy and low 1:50 or faster guy in hs... all the makings for a great > miler/5k guy in college... and who knows what down the road. The talent is > there, and to say other sports aren't taking away from the pool is naive. > Yes, I believe that the next Paul Tergat may never want to be a runner and > therefore may never become one... as he kicks around a soccer ball or tries > to hit 76 homers. > > Mike > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > > ******************************* Paul Talbot Department of Geography/ Institute of Behavioral Science University of Colorado, Boulder Boulder CO 80309-0260 (303) 492-3248 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
