Why Do People Become Athletes

More than 480,000 compete as NCAA athletes, and just a select few within each sport move on to compete at the professional or Olympic level.

Many boys and girls grow up dreaming of playing sports in college and the pro ranks. But of the nearly 8 million students currently participating in high school athletics in the United States, only 480,000 of them will compete at NCAA schools. And of that group, only a fraction will realize their goal of becoming a professional athlete.

A conversation with David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene, on whether elite athletes are marrying elite athletes, the tremendous natural range among athletes, how slow kids never make fast adults, the likelihood of becoming an elite athlete, the worldwide search for athletic talent, and how motivation and grit could be, in part, genetic, among other topics.

More than three-quarters of men`s Division I basketball players think they will play professionally, but less than 2 percent make it to the NBA.

There are some hard truths to face if you`re interested in becoming a student athlete.

Many boys and girls grow up dreaming of playing sports in college and the pro ranks. But of the nearly 8 million students currently participating in high school athletics in the United States, only 480,000 of them will compete at NCAA schools. And of that group, only a fraction will realize their goal of becoming a professional athlete.