What are the best sports for kids to translate to into running?

Soccer. Full stop.

Swimming in the winter and summer. Soccer in the fall and spring.

Basketball, hockey, lacrosse.

All help develop the legs, take a fair amount of endurance, and teach athletes to be tough.

Cross country skiing.

dunno, maybe running?

XC skiing, soccer, basketball

track

I second the cross country skiing. I think even Arthur Lydiard would even back that.

But if you don't happen to live in a frigid area, soccer seems to be the predominant place where would-be distance runners go.

But everyone knows that friends don't let friends play soccer

Soccer

XC Skiing

Ultimate Frisbee

DadMan wrote:

What are the best sports for kids to translate into running?

DadMan

I'm inclined to say running...

That being said, it seems as though America's top crop of runners all either had swimming, or soccer backgrounds.

I don't like the manner you use "translate".

Martial arts - core strength, form, discipline

And beyond

Soccer

XC Skiing

Ultimate Frisbee

+1

The progression is like this...

Gymnastics 5-8 years old

Swimming 8-13 years old

Running 14-until the joints go, then you do xc-skiing and cycling.

Gymnastics comes first to build dry land coordination at an age when the brain can absorb it very rapidly.

Swimming is next as it requires the coordination and builds upon the gymnastics with aerobic development.

Then they are really ready to run.

the progression is gymnastics, swimming and soccer while you are young. Don't start track until you are in middle school. Gymnastics will give you power and strength, coordination, balance, and excellent core strength. Swimming will give you overall strength and promote aerobic development without trashing your legs. Soccer gives you agility, coordination lower body strength in all planes of motion. Each of the sports will promote bilateral strength and coordination unlike lacrosse, tennis or basketball where one side is dominant.