Natural talent

[CricAddict]

A doubt in my mind on all sports including cricket. There are so many sons of sportspersons who succeed in the same sport. Is it because of natural talent or since they have better access to facilities and coaching? Is natural talent real?

 

[Black_Warrior]

How many sons of sportspersons have actually succeeded in the same sport? If you look at the total number of sportsmen at the highest level in a particular sport, I would expect that number to be negligible.

 

[Athlai]

/thread

 

[Burgey]

Natural talent is real. Wouldn't matter how hard I trained or at which facilities, I'd still swim downwards after 400 metres and would never be Michael Phelps, and I'd still be timed with a sun dial over 100m on the track and never be Usain Bolt. Having said that, access to proper training and facilities enables you to get the best out of whatever talent you have.

 

[CricAddict]

How many sons of sportspersons have actually succeeded in the same sport? If you look at the total number of sportsmen at the highest level in a particular sport, I would expect that number to be negligible.

I will say representing the country in the same sport is a decent level of success. That way, there are so many people we can quote as examples.

 

[Burgey]

Depends on the country, tbh. For example, if Steve Waugh's kid got picked as a middle order batsman for Australia right now, it probably wouldn't prove much.

 

[Black_Warrior]

I will say representing the country in the same sport is a decent level of success. That way, there are so many people we can quote as examples.

I'm not disputing that. What I'm saying is, pick a sport, pick a nation, then look at the total number of athletes who have performed at the highest level for that nation, then look at how many of them had equally successful parents in the same sport? I would still say the number is negligible.

 

[CricAddict]

Natural talent is real. Wouldn't matter how hard I trained or at which facilities, I'd still swim downwards after 400 metres and would never be Michael Phelps, and I'd still be timed with a sun dial over 100m on the track and never be Usain Bolt. Having said that, access to proper training and facilities enables you to get the best out of whatever talent you have.

This answers my question to a large extent, but still not 100% convinced that you could not have been successful if you had the minimum athletic build required for the sport and if you had trained since childhood for it.

 

[Burgey]

Some nerd like Spark or SS who cares about maths **** could probably tell us whether there is some statistical significance in the number of representatives whose parents have also represented their countries as opposed to the something something the general population. I dunno.

 

[vcs]

Natural talent is real. Wouldn't matter how hard I trained or at which facilities, I'd still swim downwards after 400 metres and would never be Michael Phelps, and I'd still be timed with a sun dial over 100m on the track and never be Usain Bolt. Having said that, access to proper training and facilities enables you to get the best out of whatever talent you have.

Stealing that expression.

 

[marc71178]

I will say representing the country in the same sport is a decent level of success. That way, there are so many people we can quote as examples.

And for every example you can quote, there's at least 250 who don't fit that example.

 

[Adders]

So for England I can only think of Chris and Stuart Broad as father and sons who've played (may well be others but none that spring to mind).........and we're up to cap # 671.

So your theory doesn't really stack up in this example anyway IMO cricaddict.

 

[morgieb]

So for England I can only think of Chris and Stuart Broad as father and sons who've played (may well be others but none that spring to mind).........and we're up to cap # 671.

So your theory doesn't really stack up in this example anyway IMO cricaddict.

You've had 13 father and sons fwiw. Two of which are in the side today.

 

[Adders]

Well tickle my **** till Friday.....whod've thought it.

Who are the ones in the side today??

Edit: really should've thought of the Cowdreys.

 

[morgieb]

Well tickle my **** till Friday.....whod've thought it.

Who are the ones in the side today??

Edit: really should've thought of the Cowdreys.

As well as Broad, Johnny Bairstow's dad David played for England.

 

[Flem274*]

nz and australia sometimes look like family businesses

 

[mr_mister]

As do most minnow teams

Kenya being a big one

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Growing up admiring your parents (and parents projecting their dreams on their child) is also a thing.

 

[Coronis]

I doubt W.G Grace had more training than all his brothers, but he certainly had more natural talent.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Have a father and son ever played together for the same team at the same time?