Genetic testing and Plaxico Burress are two huge stories in the media this week. Let’s bring the two together shall we?
The NYT published an article this week, Born to Run? Little Ones Get Test for Sports Gene, that reports that parents are excited about the option to discover their child’s athletic aptness through genetic testing. I thought we used tryouts for that?
When I was kid, I learned by doing. I had a pretty good idea of where my talents lied by learning from my older brother, and my father. If they were good at a particular sport, there was a good chance I would be too. I was not worried about my genetics. I simply worked hard and had fun. Being a pro was the furthest thing from my mind, as I knew that was not in the cards.
Did you know that the odds of becoming a professional athlete are 22,000 to 1? You have a better chance of winning an Academy award than you do becoming a professional athlete. So, why are parents excited about using genetics to exploit their child’s athletic potential? The answer; because now they can and our “achievement first” attitude is too powerful to suppress. Check out this article in response to the NYT article, Sports Genetic Testing—Winning at what cost?. It speaks to the parenting side of this new-found science.
Jump to 2028
Below is what I foresee happening in the future if parents go crazy for genetic testing;
Coach Smith gets a call from Jimmy’s mom. Jimmy did not make the basketball team despite his genetic testing results that showed that we was predisposed to excel in hoops.
Mary: Coach Smith, this is Mary, Jimmy’s mom. Jimmy told me that he did not make the team today. I find this news very hard to believe considering his genetics. Did you know that he scored extremely high on his genetics test for basketball?
Coach Smith: Yes, his father was sure to tell me before and after every practice.
Mary: So, you then that he has the genetics to be a great basketball player, probably even become a professional.
Coach Smith: Perhaps, but his skills do not match his genetics and his effort level was far below many of the other kids trying out.
Mary: Coach Smith, Jimmy deserves another chance. You simply can’t ignore his god-given talents. Don’t you want someone on your team that is built for basketball?
Coach Smith: No, considering this a travel team for 12-13 year-olds, I want a kid who works hard, listens well, and most of all, wants to have fun. Unfortunately, your son did not meet those criteria, genetically.
Mary hung up.
Coach smiled, then frowned.
Not a very promising outlook, but I am sure that I am not that far off.
Now, what if Plaxico’s family brought him in to test his genetics? Of course they would discover that he was designed to be a superior athlete, which he is. But, perhaps there were some genetic defects identified that could pose a problem for him later life. Maybe these defects had to do with his decision making abilities and he would need mentoring and character development to overcome these obstacles. What would happen if Plaxico decided to just ride out the athletic talent thing and bypass all else? I think we know the answer; amidst a Superbowl championship, millions of dollars in his pocket, and fame, Plaxico goes to a nightclub, fumbles with his gun in his pocket and shoots himself in the thigh. A week later, he is suspended for the rest of the season and facing a minimum of 3.5 years in jail, and probably miss the opportunity to win back-to-back Superbowls. Maybe Plaxico should have worked on his character.
I think we can agree that both scenarios are not optimal. While understanding our assets from a genetic standpoint seems attractive, I am sure that it would decrease the urge to take risks and learn something new. One thing that society has seemingly shied away from is learning from failure and risk.
I Leave you with this quote from JFK, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
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