And that would never be said about track & field athletes.
Are softball players good athletes?
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And that would never be said about track & field athletes.
Or who? We've all seen a softball player who is extremely athletic, and it sure makes the rest of the girls look relatively less athletic.
This past late summer, we picked up a recently signed (D1) niece of mine. OH MY GOSH..... She sure put new meaning to every aspect of the game, but her base-running was really something to behold. It sure showed our players how much better they could play if they really worked at it. Of course, this gal started playing baseball on a boys team when she was about 9 and continued that until she was around 14.
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There are softball players who are superior athletes and some that aren't. My DD was voted most athletic girl in her school. There are girls on the softball team and on the volleyball team who are not athletic but are good at specific skills that make them valuable to the team. I would say more basketball players And
Soccer players are athletic because the game requires it for success.
The hand eye coordination point is valid. Both my kids can juggle. When my son was 13 he spent all his free time learning how to do trick juggling. 4 and 5 ball, passing 6 clubs with a partner behind the back tricks... The next summer his hitting and fielding was so much better then the year before. I always thought it was because he trained his hand eye coordination with
All that juggling.
Soccer players are athletic because the game requires it for success.
The hand eye coordination point is valid. Both my kids can juggle. When my son was 13 he spent all his free time learning how to do trick juggling. 4 and 5 ball, passing 6 clubs with a partner behind the back tricks... The next summer his hitting and fielding was so much better then the year before. I always thought it was because he trained his hand eye coordination with
All that juggling.
Forget the insider bat. I'm buying DD some juggling balls! I jest, but I think you're probably right about it helping.
This is a very intriguing thread. I think there are some "athletes" that are just naturals. They have coordination that make them inclined to excel at any sport they try. Think of the 3 sport athletes who were the team captains for all of their sports back in high school and they were all-county athletes at all of those sports.
Now, DD is another story. I wouldn't characterize her as athletic. As a matter of fact, I think she's pretty clumsy and awkward. How she can throw a ball for strikes still surprises me. I think some of it has to do that as a pitcher, she is specialized and practices solely on this motion. Take hard work plus some coordination and we are seeing good things thus far. What is in the cards for the long term is entirely dependent on her willingness to put the time in IMO because I don't think it comes naturally to her.
Now, DD is another story. I wouldn't characterize her as athletic. As a matter of fact, I think she's pretty clumsy and awkward. How she can throw a ball for strikes still surprises me. I think some of it has to do that as a pitcher, she is specialized and practices solely on this motion. Take hard work plus some coordination and we are seeing good things thus far. What is in the cards for the long term is entirely dependent on her willingness to put the time in IMO because I don't think it comes naturally to her.
- Nov 29, 2009
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The perfect example of a great athlete who could not transfer it to another sport is Jordan. Undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball was only a so so baseball player. The definition of athlete is quite mailable.
He was a so-so baseball player only because people compared it to his basketball prowess. A guy who can run fast, jump out of the gym and bench press more then his body weight is the absolute definition of athletic.
Bo knows athleticism. 
This is tough because 'athletic' can mean many, many things.
And softball is a perfect example because different types of athleticism is highlighted by different positions. Fast and quick, strength, coordination, agility, speed, footwork, skill speed, hand/eye coordination, etc, etc all have different applications to each position and each batter. Even the ability to execute and learn a skill (such as how to swing a bat or pitch) is very much an athletic talent.
One thing to like about this game is there is room for lots of different types of athletes who can be successful in multiple ways. Great coaches can adjust how they play to enhance what aspects his players do bring to the game and try to limit the limitations they may have.
What I will say is that I see way too many softball players who are 'out-of-shape' - and you are starting to see that is becoming less and less acceptable by the better programs at all college levels. That doesn't make these players any less athletic - it just makes them out of shape.
One thing that I thought as I was reading the original post which might give a slightly different view point and something I have reflected on recently. When my DD started to play travel, I would see the older teams play and wondered how her and her teammates were ever going to get that good in what is really not that long of time. I am stunned every time I look out there and see my DD and her team mates and how they have progressed and how they are now the older teams and are really 'that good'. I still can be influenced by who she was - instead of the athlete she is today and is going to be tomorrow.
And softball is a perfect example because different types of athleticism is highlighted by different positions. Fast and quick, strength, coordination, agility, speed, footwork, skill speed, hand/eye coordination, etc, etc all have different applications to each position and each batter. Even the ability to execute and learn a skill (such as how to swing a bat or pitch) is very much an athletic talent.
One thing to like about this game is there is room for lots of different types of athletes who can be successful in multiple ways. Great coaches can adjust how they play to enhance what aspects his players do bring to the game and try to limit the limitations they may have.
What I will say is that I see way too many softball players who are 'out-of-shape' - and you are starting to see that is becoming less and less acceptable by the better programs at all college levels. That doesn't make these players any less athletic - it just makes them out of shape.
One thing that I thought as I was reading the original post which might give a slightly different view point and something I have reflected on recently. When my DD started to play travel, I would see the older teams play and wondered how her and her teammates were ever going to get that good in what is really not that long of time. I am stunned every time I look out there and see my DD and her team mates and how they have progressed and how they are now the older teams and are really 'that good'. I still can be influenced by who she was - instead of the athlete she is today and is going to be tomorrow.
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Depends on the event.
Some of those shot put athletes just look big until you see someone that big move that fast.
And some long distance runners to me look sickly thin until you see them run their event.
And yes both of those are generalizations, but it just goes to show how varied 'athleticism' really is. It can be very specialized to a particular activity.
