Which sport yields the most athletic players?

[wildcatfan]

I realize this may be a biased question on a basketball board, but I think this is a no brainer. Your opinion, and why?

 

I go with basketball because it requires good size, incredible hand/eye coordination for dribbling and shooting (this is probably the biggest separator from other sports for me, even more difficult than soccer dribbling and shooting), good aerobic shape for running (although soccer players probably have better endurance), quickness, speed, and strength too. Obviously, football players usually are the strongest. On average, basketball players are all around better athletes I think. Soccer players often tend to be a little smaller and not as physically strong.

[ukfan14]

I realize this may be a biased question on a basketball board, but I think this is a no brainer. Your opinion, and why?

 

I go with basketball because it requires good size, incredible hand/eye coordination for dribbling and shooting (this is probably the biggest separator from other sports for me, even more difficult than soccer dribbling and shooting), good aerobic shape for running (although soccer players probably have better endurance), quickness, speed, and strength too. Obviously, football players usually are the strongest. On average, basketball players are all around better athletes I think. Soccer players often tend to be a little smaller and not as physically strong.

 

I think that as far as all around in every category you listed its basketball. Endurance is soccer followed by basketball, hand-eye is baseball is toughest followed by basketball, and strength is football followed by basketball.

[ColonelMike]

I think that as far as all around in every category you listed its basketball. Endurance is soccer followed by basketball, hand-eye is baseball is toughest followed by basketball, and strength is football followed by basketball.

 

I agree with one exception: I would give endurance to Cross-Country runners. Sure, soccer players have to be on the move for an entire game, but they're not running full-tilt the entire time. A HS x-c runner runs 5 kilometers (approximately 16-20 minutes) at full speed. (sure, they talk about "pacing", but they're not talking about "jogging".) It's not unusual for cross-country runners to collapse from complete exhaustion at the end of a race...

[ColonelCrazy]

I can think of plenty of basketball players who would make great defensive ends, tight ends, safeties and wide receivers. There are also other positions, but these 5 stand out the most to me.

 

I'll vote basketball.

[Wireman]

I can think of plenty of basketball players who would make great defensive ends, tight ends, safeties and wide receivers. There are also other positions, but these 5 stand out the most to me.

 

I'll vote basketball.

 

There are also plenty of footballer's that can hoop, as well. I'm not saying my vote goes to football, but just saying...

[SportsDummy]

I think we all know what you mean, but just for fun look up the word athletic (or athlete) and then try to answer the question.

[NEXT]

There are also plenty of footballer's that can hoop, as well. I'm not saying my vote goes to football, but just saying...

 

Yep, but they probably started playing B-ball.

 

 

Perfect example is Antonio Gates. His athleticism honed in basketball allowed to to play in the NFL, with no NCAA football experience.

 

A football player could not do that in the NBA.

[STRIKE3]

Basketball, Swimming and Wrestling, have extremely well conditioned athletes and not conducive to bulk. Football has a lot of strength and speed. Baseball is about reaction and hand/eye coordination. Soccer is cardio and visual.

[Qryche11]

BAsketball for sure.

[zeptard]

I think basketball yields the most athletic players by far for 3 reasons:

 

1) The better athletes choose basketball over other sports, so basketball has better athletes. Kids like the crowds and press coverage…you see more kids who start playing 2 or 3 sports freshman year, eliminating the other sport and trying to concentrate on basketball. And they choose basketball because it is more fun than getting beat up playing football or getting mauled from behind while dribbling the soccer ball because the high school refs don’t call anything.

 

2) Basketball is the only major sport where 4 elements of athleticism are important to all positions in order to play well: strength, hand-eye coordination, footwork, and quickness/speed.

 

3) Basketball players can do well in many other sports. You could take the any good basketball team and you know that most of the players would be stars on the football field. But you couldn’t take the same number of football players or soccer players and have them excel on the basketball court, even if you compared them to kid of the same size and height.

 

One exception to this thinking is Shaq, who is the most un-athletic player in the NBA, yet may be the most valuable player to ever play the game of basketball. But then again he could just fall down on the offensive line and still protect the quarterback, and could smash the other team’s soccer players and not get a red card.

[mcpapa]

Although it's not a HS sport, I would add boxing into the mix.

[mcpapa]

The original question - which sport yields the most athletic players - seems like one of those "chicken or the egg" questions.

 

Let's say the answer is basketball. Is that because the sport of basketball results in its' participants becoming athletic? Or is it because athletes tend to gravitate to basketball in the first place?

[doomer]

Although it's not a HS sport, I would add boxing into the mix.

 

I think a major magazine did a study on this 30 years ago or so and boxing was no. 1. Being a jockey was high up there as well. But I guess there aren't many high school boxing or racing teams. For high school sports...It is difficult to determine, as you said in your second post. Every sport has specialists that require different physical capacities which may over-ride overall fitness....like a 7'2" 16 year old basketball player. He can be effective, but may be struggling athletically. Another example..a 300+ pound lineman may move people out of the blocks, but struggle running up and down the field or court. So I go with women's field hockey.

[wildcatfan]

The original question - which sport yields the most athletic players - seems like one of those "chicken or the egg" questions.

 

Let's say the answer is basketball. Is that because the sport of basketball results in its' participants becoming athletic? Or is it because athletes tend to gravitate to basketball in the first place?

 

In my experience, many of the basketball players started out playing football, soccer, baseball, etc., along with basketball and specialized in basketball later on. I've seen plenty of football coaches try to get good basketball players come out for their teams, but not the other way around as often.

[dog4]

To me - this is easy - Did you watch volleyball in the olympics? All I can say is dang those are some fine athletes!