In a study just reported in US News and World Report (Sept 22, 2003), "Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values," the researchers tracked student athletes and measured their academic performance against the general student body. Not too surprising, most athletes fell well below the "norm" for the student body at large. Fortunately, there is a single exception: sailors! While football players ranked academically in the 21 percentile of the student body (the lowest ranking of the sports measured), sailors rank at or above the norm: 53% for all student sailors (the highest ranking!). Now we can confirm what we knew all along: we sailors are a smart bunch! Next in the rankings: women's soccer (50%), women's tennis (47%), women's volleyball and men's tennis (46%) tied in fourth, and women's swimming (41%). All other scores were below 40%, including baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and track.
- Status
Hmmmmm, let's see.........
I rowed crew in school (About 1000 yrs ago.) and have sailed most of my life so I must be the smartest person in the world!! Wonder why I'm not the richest??? David
I rowed crew in school (About 1000 yrs ago.) and have sailed most of my life so I must be the smartest person in the world!! Wonder why I'm not the richest??? David
Bob ... above the norm probably
The study presumably includes only those who had the time/interest in college racing, and probably understates the "smarts" of the sailing population. For example, many of us who sail today were too busy studying/working back then for organized sports. Looking down my dock at the marina ... which is not the fancy one on the lake ... I can tell you these people are SMART, high functionality people ... although mostly very unpretentious about it. But I must say that a few seem a bit more dim after midnight and on weekend mornings
. Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
The study presumably includes only those who had the time/interest in college racing, and probably understates the "smarts" of the sailing population. For example, many of us who sail today were too busy studying/working back then for organized sports. Looking down my dock at the marina ... which is not the fancy one on the lake ... I can tell you these people are SMART, high functionality people ... although mostly very unpretentious about it. But I must say that a few seem a bit more dim after midnight and on weekend mornings
. Tom Monroe Carlyle LakeBeware of making assumptions...
Scoring well on academic exams is not the sole criteria for being "smart". Kids coming into collegiate sailing programs generally come from far different backgrounds than those recruited for the big money team sports. These young sailors may be more prepared for college level academics than some other athletes, but a 53% placement is no indicator that sailors are smart. Contrary to your assumtion, I think that a 53% score makes them rather average. The poor, overall state of academics among college athletes is the real issue, not that sailors are smarter than football players.
Scoring well on academic exams is not the sole criteria for being "smart". Kids coming into collegiate sailing programs generally come from far different backgrounds than those recruited for the big money team sports. These young sailors may be more prepared for college level academics than some other athletes, but a 53% placement is no indicator that sailors are smart. Contrary to your assumtion, I think that a 53% score makes them rather average. The poor, overall state of academics among college athletes is the real issue, not that sailors are smarter than football players.
Let's not forget...
there is a level of intelligence, beyond which common sense is nonexistant. I have known a few sailors who were that intelligent.
there is a level of intelligence, beyond which common sense is nonexistant. I have known a few sailors who were that intelligent.
Hey David
I too was on my schools crew team as well as the sailing team (Captain). Where did you you row at? 1969-71
I too was on my schools crew team as well as the sailing team (Captain). Where did you you row at? 1969-71
IQ and Doing Prison Time
I remember a speech class where someone gave a speech about the correlation between IQ and the people doing prison time. The speaker lead the class to the conclusion that the lower the IQ the more likely people are to disobey the laws hence the reason they go to jail. In the question and answer period that followed someone made a comment "Maybe the smart ones just didn't get caught!" Hmmmm.....
I remember a speech class where someone gave a speech about the correlation between IQ and the people doing prison time. The speaker lead the class to the conclusion that the lower the IQ the more likely people are to disobey the laws hence the reason they go to jail. In the question and answer period that followed someone made a comment "Maybe the smart ones just didn't get caught!" Hmmmm.....
49%
I read recently (I forget, relative to what?): "an ASTOUNDING 49% were found to be above average!" Gord
I read recently (I forget, relative to what?): "an ASTOUNDING 49% were found to be above average!"
Gordfloride edeukation
bieing a lokal floride naitive and life long saleor im thriled with this news. we krackers pride ourselves on our smartz. Heck, just the othur day my salebot went 4 knotz! im gettin better evry day at this saleing stufe. americas kup look out, here kome the floride krackers.
bieing a lokal floride naitive and life long saleor im thriled with this news. we krackers pride ourselves on our smartz. Heck, just the othur day my salebot went 4 knotz! im gettin better evry day at this saleing stufe. americas kup look out, here kome the floride krackers.
Be careful with the comments you guys, especially
those from Florida. If US News and World Report reads this forum they'll drop our group's percentile down a few points and we won't be smart or special anymore.
those from Florida. If US News and World Report reads this forum they'll drop our group's percentile down a few points and we won't be smart or special anymore.
watch out cali, your next
Watch out Florida, California is trying to take our title of "doofus state" which we crackers worked long and hard for. It's hard to argue when one of the saner sounding people running for governor is Larry Flint. In California anyone can run for anything, except for smokers of course. If California wants to become the next laughingstock of the country then they will have to work hard to keep it. We Floridian's have an ace up our sleeve, its called the 2004 presidential election.
Watch out Florida, California is trying to take our title of "doofus state" which we crackers worked long and hard for. It's hard to argue when one of the saner sounding people running for governor is Larry Flint. In California anyone can run for anything, except for smokers of course. If California wants to become the next laughingstock of the country then they will have to work hard to keep it. We Floridian's have an ace up our sleeve, its called the 2004 presidential election.
Of course Sailors are smart....Was the poll askew?
It doesn't take any brains to push the accelerator on a powerboat. Could the number of members on a team also be a factor? 50 in football, 25 in baseball or softball vs let's say 6 in Tennis? Also were the questions asked at colleges like Duke that has a very high percentage of graduated athletes or schools that have a low percentage of graduated athletes? I've also been a firm believer that you can ask questions in a certain way or order, eliminate questions and disqualify answers to receive the outcome your looking for.
It doesn't take any brains to push the accelerator on a powerboat. Could the number of members on a team also be a factor? 50 in football, 25 in baseball or softball vs let's say 6 in Tennis? Also were the questions asked at colleges like Duke that has a very high percentage of graduated athletes or schools that have a low percentage of graduated athletes? I've also been a firm believer that you can ask questions in a certain way or order, eliminate questions and disqualify answers to receive the outcome your looking for.
Average
I think the implication of all of this is that people who do not participate in sports are above average. We sailors are representative of the general, non sporting population.
I think the implication of all of this is that people who do not participate in sports are above average. We sailors are representative of the general, non sporting population.
relax guys
Too many people blowing their own horns in here. Yeah, sailors tend to have an IQ above their shoe size but not always. Been to any live aboard anchoraged recently and acutally mingled with the local so-called sailors recently? They run the line from genious to idiot. The same can be said for any group of people. As for collages, who cares, I dropped out of collage and live on the water, own a fleet of boats and work 35 hours a week and I'm not even 50 yet. All done by finding a nitch. Duke, Yale, Harvard all mean zip.
Too many people blowing their own horns in here. Yeah, sailors tend to have an IQ above their shoe size but not always. Been to any live aboard anchoraged recently and acutally mingled with the local so-called sailors recently? They run the line from genious to idiot. The same can be said for any group of people. As for collages, who cares, I dropped out of collage and live on the water, own a fleet of boats and work 35 hours a week and I'm not even 50 yet. All done by finding a nitch. Duke, Yale, Harvard all mean zip.
Rick........
I rowed at Hammond High School, Alexandria, Va. 1964-65. Wow, that was a long time ago!! College was not near water. Missed going to the Themes in England by one race!! David
I rowed at Hammond High School, Alexandria, Va. 1964-65. Wow, that was a long time ago!! College was not near water. Missed going to the Themes in England by one race!! David
Perhaps
Its because a lot of people with a sailing family background are a mob rich knobs sorry snobs and so they have always had the money to go yachting and generaly you have to have brains to have money. So its the old gene pool thing.
Its because a lot of people with a sailing family background are a mob rich knobs sorry snobs and so they have always had the money to go yachting and generaly you have to have brains to have money. So its the old gene pool thing.
- Status