I started running because I was terrible at basketball and knew I wouldn't make the 8th grade team.
I ended up being one of the better HS runners in my area, winning a few big meets, etc. Qualified for state in XC 4x and 2x in track. Not the best, but not the worst.
Not only that, but I ran a few state meets as part of a 4x800 with a guy who played soccer. He was OK at soccer, but would have been - IMO - one of the best runners in the state if he really focused on it for more than 4 months / year. Loads of talent and really great mechanics. But, there was no chance he'd ever to that; it wasn't cool.
I can't imagine what the state of distance running would be in the US if track / xc were seen as glamour sports. There are so many athletes out there grinding away at sports they're OK at, or not even that interested in.
Coming from a school that qualified for the IN state meet YoY with some decent finishes, I honestly think I could have built a better team with non-runners and 12-months of training time. Sad but true.
Are we just the castaways from other sports?