^^ Don't forget the drugs!
I think a big part of Canada's problem is that we simply don't have the population base, infrastructure, and cultural support necessary to succeed in a broad variety of athletic pursuits. Look at soccer for example. Biggest sport in the world, highest enrolment among both boys and girls of any sport in Canada, and a craptastic international team (well, the men anyway). Why is that? Well, a big part of it is a lack of proper scouting and development at home, largely owing to a lack of professional leagues and teams taking an interest in young Canadian players. Whereas a phenom like Crosby gets national attention at the age of 9, a similar phenom in soccer simply wouldn't hit the radar until much later, if at all. If that's the case with the biggest sport in the world, and the biggest (enrolment-wise) in Canada, what chance do the "fringe" sports have?
|