Are distance runners better than sprinters in any team sports?

What team sport doesn't you to be able to run fast or have fast acceleration? Even FIFA lists 60 meter sprint times for soccer pros.

Distance runners are basically misfits who can't sprint, hurdle, jump, or throw, or do much of anything else. So the ESPN types know the names of a bunch of sprinters--they call them running backs and wide receivers. Maybe if you're too slow and weak to do anything else, you might try PK?

Not anymore the average kicker is buffed now. They are around 200 pounds on average. For scrawny runner types it's soccer or bust.

Sports are made for spectators. Any sport that distance runners would be great at would last for a long time, be monotonous/boring, need a big venue, and/or be difficult to watch.

In my completely anecdotal experience, plenty of other sports participants are better at 100 meters or below, but once you get above 200 meters its distance runners no contest.

A lot of top soccer players were mid distance runners, Garety Bale for example. You've got to be able to last 90 minutes after all.

Generally speaking I've noticed that distance runners tend to do better than sprinters in cross-country running. So that's one team sport where they have an advantage.

In the ultimate team sport, crew, I think it's an open question whether sprinters or distance people would be better. Crew has the one body type (large, powerful, and slow-twitch) for which there's really no niche in track and field. However, the only person I've coached who went on to win an Olympic medal was on my cross-country squad before she switched to rowing (in which she eventually gained her medal).

Distance runners would mop up the floor in basketball, soccer, tennis, rugby, crew, and many other team sports. Sprinters can only go all out for very short periods of time. They would be useless after being so winded. Distance runners much more versatile.

Springy tingly wrote:

Distance runners would mop up the floor in basketball, soccer, tennis, rugby, crew, and many other team sports. Sprinters can only go all out for very short periods of time. They would be useless after being so winded. Distance runners much more versatile.

Basketball? Distance runners too slow to keep up and can't jump.

Soccer? 800-1500m runners with a good kick.

Tennis? Serena freely admits her *ss is too big to run a marathon. In tennis you need quick bursts of acceleration. Not a slow twitch sport.

Rugby? Pencil necks would get destroyed.

Crew? Who know or cares?

xc? Sprinters would finish an 8k in about 30 minutes.

soccer? You keep going and don't stop for plays. Sprinters would be winded and the game would slow down after about 15 minutes.

cycling? Even cycling sprints are long, more of a power endurance than speed affair. Who cares how much power the sprinters can generate when they can't hold it for more than a couple mins.

triathlon? Sprinters might be able to keep up through one of three disciplines.

Mid distance guys kill it in Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee. Yeah theres substitutions but top guys won't have a proper replacement waiting on the bench to sub out to. Also from my experience many soccer players when they try track are very good 800/mile types.

Long distance requires almost zero skill, so skill-based games are often not a great fit for these "athletes".

Mid distance used a bit of skill, so these guys tend to do a little better.

If you want the best athlete on the team, look to the high hurdler, or any of the jumping events.

Edward Teach wrote:

xc? Sprinters would finish an 8k in about 30 minutes.

soccer? You keep going and don't stop for plays. Sprinters would be winded and the game would slow down after about 15 minutes.

cycling? Even cycling sprints are long, more of a power endurance than speed affair. Who cares how much power the sprinters can generate when they can't hold it for more than a couple mins.

triathlon? Sprinters might be able to keep up through one of three disciplines.

You only mentioned one team sport. A bunch of individuals wearing the same uniform and running, swimming or cycling are not doing a "team sport", as the question was phrased.

thats wrong