Are you the first born child of a large family?
Was I good at Track because I am the fourth child out of 5 children in my family?
Then consider this:
Has it occurred to you that none of the recent 100m WR for men were the first born sibling?
Image source: http://www.genevavoice.com/geneva-colleges-big-brothers-big-sisters-program-funding-cut-2/
From the book The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How
, pages 115 and 116:
- Usain Bolt is the 2nd of 3 children
- Asafa Powell: 6th of 6
- Justin Gatlin: 4th of 4
- Maurice Green: 4th of 4
- Donovan Bailey: 3rd of 3
- Leroy Burrell: 4th of 5
- Carl Lewis: 3rd of 4
- Calvin Smith: 6th of 8
Even Ben Johnson was the 5th of out 6 children.
Can you think of reasons why the first born (male) child would not succeed in life? (at least, not in Track and Field World Records!)
- socio-economic? both parents working? no time “early” in their work careers?
- 1st born (male) child has career pressure? off to work first, military, college or even priesthood?
- 1st born child has financial pressure in low income families?
- younger siblings have a better sport support system in place?
- younger siblings have older sibling as role models?
- younger siblings are mentally tougher being teased by their older siblings?
Or is it simply a bad sample pool and merely a coincidence?
What do you think?
The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How
Jimson Lee
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