You Can Achieve Whatever You Set Your Mind To — No, Really!
@42 Ronnie Schreiber.
There is no question about the genetic element in running. The Olympic 100 meters have become dominated by people of West African descent, while the 10K and longer races are typically won by people from a fairly compact area in Eritrea/Ethiopia/Kenya. The notion that people of other genetic backgrounds simply aren’t practicing correctly is absurd on its face, especially considering the economic disadvantage of these runners. People from more developed countries should be able to leverage their economic advantages to practice better.
Compare to the winners in the “World’s Strongest Man” competitions. The winners there are predominantly from Northern Europe, or North Americans whose ancestry is of that same general area.
These different types of muscle development translate to the football field. Offensive linemen, who traditionally need strength over speed, are far more likely to be of N. European extraction (although this has changed with coaches demanding more mobile blockers) while the backs and receivers, who need that sprinter speed to outrun defenders, are almost exclusively of W. African heritage.
Given the insane amounts of money to be earned in the NFL, there is plenty of incentive for all to adopt the best practice methods. If it were just a matter of practicing correctly, the sheer numbers of European-Americans would produce a majority of players at the speed positions.
