<p>"WAS your kid born to be an elite athlete? Marketers of genetic tests claim the answer is in mail-order kits costing less than $200.</p>
<p>Some customers say the test results help them steer their children to appropriate sports. But skeptical doctors and ethicists say the tests are putting profit before science and have a much greater price tag - potentially robbing perfectly capable youngsters of a chance to enjoy activities of their choice…"</p>
<p>Talk about your niche markets.</p>
<p>[Could</a> tests tell if kids can be sports stars? | The Australian](<a href=“http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/could-tests-tell-if-kids-can-be-sports-stars/story-fn3dxity-1226018282148]Could”>http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/could-tests-tell-if-kids-can-be-sports-stars/story-fn3dxity-1226018282148)</p>
<p>“There’s a sucker born every minute”. - P.T. Barnum.</p>
<p>The test may even be accurate - as to potential, BUT what makes one kid better than another is not just athletic ability, but a large amount of variables, including, but not limited to, diet, practice, motivation, quality of training regimine and other unknown factors. </p>
<p>I understand that with muti-million dollar contracts on the line that there could be some serious attempts to identify, and hone talented athletic kids to excell, but since the payoff is so long term, and the odds are astronomical against any one kid getting the huge deal, that IMHO, it looks like a suckers bet.</p>
<p>Just my $.02 - and worth every penny. Your results may vary.</p>
<p>Crazy.<br>
The most important information you know for free by looking at the biological parents and their families…height, coordination, arm span, etc.<br>
The next set of information is also free: what sports does the child’s family love? A kid who grows up sailing, golfing, riding horses, playing baseball, or riding dirt bikes, is going to have the opportunities to develop their skills.</p>
<p>I actually heard about this test (or maybe just a similar one) on the local news a few years ago, around the time I was writing a research paper about the ethics of genetic testing. Basically everywhere I read agreed that in-home tests were a very bad idea. And when testing for something trivial like this, it’s just a waste of money. Here’s one good site on the issue:</p>
<p>[At-Home</a> Genetic Tests: A Healthy Dose of Skepticism May Be the Best Prescription](<a href=“http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea02.shtm]At-Home”>http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/health/hea02.shtm)</p>
<p>“Be wary of claims about the benefits these products supposedly offer.”</p>
<p>This test is obviously slightly different, but the same principle applies.</p>