Infant Chinese Gymnast Training

[Brankles]

Re: Infant Chinese Gymnast Training

I can't imagine what kind of athletes America would put out if we went into this kind of rigorous/abusive training with our children. America is already one of the most athletically gifted and diverse countries in the world... if we turned into some kind of Communist machine, there would be LeBron James'es/Albert Pujolses coming into the league every year. Imagine being chosen as a young child to be taught by elite coaches and trained by elite trainers and being fed by elite nutritionists. The fundamentals of the average player would be perfected before they even went into college, and their athletic potential would be met at an even earlier age.

Stumbleweed brought out a good point... it's the mental burnout that would be the hardest thing to curve and would eventually run the athletes off.

I also kind of wonder that because of the nature of gymnastics (males doing splits and other strange maneuvers) is what makes this video so "graphic". If it showed kids training for basketball or football or tennis, it would probably seem a lot more humane.

[CMH]

Re: Infant Chinese Gymnast Training

I can't imagine what kind of athletes America would put out if we went into this kind of rigorous/abusive training with our children. America is already one of the most athletically gifted and diverse countries in the world... if we turned into some kind of Communist machine, there would be LeBron James'es/Albert Pujolses coming into the league every year. Imagine being chosen as a young child to be taught by elite coaches and trained by elite trainers and being fed by elite nutritionists. The fundamentals of the average player would be perfected before they even went into college, and their athletic potential would be met at an even earlier age.

I wonder how much of this would affect youth sports when you'd know at an early age that you could not possibly play for the pros - those children have already been hand picked by the government.

Would children even want to compete with no dream? Perhaps, it would make children focus on other goals at an earlier age.

[Brankles]

Re: Infant Chinese Gymnast Training

I wonder how much of this would affect youth sports when you'd know at an early age that you could not possibly play for the pros - those children have already been hand picked by the government.

Would children even want to compete with no dream? Perhaps, it would make children focus on other goals at an earlier age.

I would think they would be placed in other areas and be forced to do another activity with ridiculous training as well (math, science, language, etc.)

I heard Yao's parents were matched up with each other because they were both tall and athletic. Breeding based on physical attributes (like horses and like slaves were in the dark ages of our nation.)

Imagine Candace Parker, LeBron, Lisa Leslie, Shaq, Dwight, Josh Smith, Jevon Kearse, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Antonio Gates, the Williams sisters, Matt Jones, Tim Tebow, Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Chris Andersen, Tom Chambers, Dr. J, Hakeem Olajuwan etc. all making babies and putting their children into these training programs.


It's outrageous to think that this goes on in many, many places in the world. On one side it's horrible and dehumanizing, but on the other side it would be interesting to see what kind of athlete LeBron James and Candace Parker could make.

[chadskee]

Re: Infant Chinese Gymnast Training

I could see a rise in alcohol and drug abuse if this happened in the US honestly.