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Shift back towards multi-sport athletes?

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    Shift back towards multi-sport athletes?

    Granted the focus on this article is football but it has relevance for soccer and all sports. With GDA coming on line more players will face this big decision - focus solely on soccer or continue in another strong league and still be able to play other sports. Since most will never be pro or NT players the "need" to specialize isn't as strong.

    "Swinney contends there is much to be gained by playing multiple sports, even if an athlete does not become the next Devon Allen, the Oregon receiver who finished fifth in the 110-meter hurdles at the Rio Olympics. In Swinney’s view, the participation is its own reward. “I just think that the cross-training, the different types of coaching, the different types of locker rooms, the different environments that you practice in, the different challenges — I think it develops a much more competitive, well-rounded type person,” he said."


    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/30/sp...tionfront&_r=0

    #2
    Football has always obtained the top US athletes, many of which excel in multiple sports. And the skills to play at the top levels, other than kicking and quarterback, are predominantly physically based, so it is easier to learn than those required for soccer.

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      #3
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      Football has always obtained the top US athletes, many of which excel in multiple sports. And the skills to play at the top levels, other than kicking and quarterback, are predominantly physically based, so it is easier to learn than those required for soccer.
      But you need to be a hell of a lot more athletic, physical and just plain old mean to play American football which is why soccer will never succeed in this country except as a women's sport because all the men who play it are really the wheenies who can't excel at any other sport.

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        #4
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        But you need to be a hell of a lot more athletic, physical and just plain old mean to play American football which is why soccer will never succeed in this country except as a women's sport because all the men who play it are really the wheenies who can't excel at any other sport.
        Keep thinking that troll. It takes a heck of alot more skill and overall fitness to play soccer. No 350lb fat-asses on a soccer field. Pretty sure all those hits to the head in football won't help your kid's grades either...

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          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          But you need to be a hell of a lot more athletic, physical and just plain old mean to play American football which is why soccer will never succeed in this country except as a women's sport because all the men who play it are really the wheenies who can't excel at any other sport.
          Maybe Talking Soccer is the wrong forum for you. I recommend MA Grunting Football.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            Football has always obtained the top US athletes, many of which excel in multiple sports. And the skills to play at the top levels, other than kicking and quarterback, are predominantly physically based, so it is easier to learn than those required for soccer.
            Oh my God this gets so old. WR, Corner, Safety, RB's and some QB's are the only Football players with the body type similar enough to succeed in soccer. And at a certain point they have to pick one sport because power required to play football adds to much body mass to allow the player to have the endurance necessary for soccer.

            Football requires a size and speed combinations that soccer simply does not require. Just because somebody is big and fast does not mean they would have been a good soccer player. It just means that they are are a rare body type first and foremost.

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              #7
              Football players do not play continuously. In an average game there is approximately 15 minutes of actual play. Lots of stoppage time.

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                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                Oh my God this gets so old. WR, Corner, Safety, RB's and some QB's are the only Football players with the body type similar enough to succeed in soccer. And at a certain point they have to pick one sport because power required to play football adds to much body mass to allow the player to have the endurance necessary for soccer.

                Football requires a size and speed combinations that soccer simply does not require. Just because somebody is big and fast does not mean they would have been a good soccer player. It just means that they are are a rare body type first and foremost.
                Brazil's Hulk and Real Madrid's Benzema both have builds that would work for American football. I agree there isn't a ton of crossover of athlete-types, and there isn't enough of money in men's soccer in the US to pull away athletes from Football anyway.

                Bottom line the US Men's team has some great athletes. We play athletic, physical soccer. Our problem has been and continues to be on the skill and creativity side.

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  Brazil's Hulk and Real Madrid's Benzema both have builds that would work for American football. I agree there isn't a ton of crossover of athlete-types, and there isn't enough of money in men's soccer in the US to pull away athletes from Football anyway.

                  Bottom line the US Men's team has some great athletes. We play athletic, physical soccer. Our problem has been and continues to be on the skill and creativity side.
                  Exactly

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    But you need to be a hell of a lot more athletic, physical and just plain old mean to play American football which is why soccer will never succeed in this country except as a women's sport because all the men who play it are really the wheenies who can't excel at any other sport.
                    More golden oldies courtesy of BTDT.

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      More golden oldies courtesy of BTDT.
                      Perhaps, but true nonetheless

                      Let's not ignore the better athletes drawn to hoop as well.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        Perhaps, but true nonetheless

                        Let's not ignore the better athletes drawn to hoop as well.
                        Thanks buddy. This ain't the 1970s anymore with Kyle Rote Jr.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          Perhaps, but true nonetheless

                          Let's not ignore the better athletes drawn to hoop as well.
                          So true think of all the Steve Nash and John Stockton type players who went to the NBA instead of professional soccer. My total count is 2. Without those 2 soccer in the US has never been the same...

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