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Second generation stars in any sport can be a tough ask. It is one thing to achieve great success in your sporting career but it is an entirely different scenario to expect that your offspring goes on to fill those shoes or even outperform. This is why when we talk about second generation stars they are still noteworthy and people recognize their feats as nothing short of impressive.

If I ask you to name a prominent second generation superstar whose parent(s) also performed at the highest level it probably wouldn't come instantly. This is because there isn't a lot of them to begin with. Don't get me wrong, many have tried to follow the footsteps of their parents but few have been able to perform at the highest level.

There are a few names after careful consideration (and google searching) that comes to mind. We have the likes of Stephen Curry(basketball), Pepe Reina(soccer), Andrew luck(NFL) and a handful of others who went on to have as successful a career as their fathers or better.

Some Athletes like Floyd Mayweather were excluded from my list because his father wasn't nearly as successful as he became. In order to get the true meaning of a second generation superstar, the first generation also has to be a bonafide superstar in some way and very few athletes fit the bill.

What's The Reason For Failure

Is it that there are no advantages to being a second generation athlete? The answer is no. Parents obviously want the best for their offspring and go the distance in trying to see them succeed, sometimes it even involves calling in favors. Having a Cristiano Ronaldo as your dad for instance or a Mohammed Ali won't hurt your chances of getting an audience.

Where many second generation athletes fail is what comes after they have been granted an audience. They then have to prove themselves and it can be a herculean task for them. First, many of them simply aren't as skilled as their parents and it clearly shows from the onset. Believe it or not, the apple can sometimes fall far from the tree when it comes to elite performance irrespective of the inherited genetics.

Personal Demons

There are other reasons beyond just skills that may cause an athlete not to become as successful as their parents. The first is a general lack of interest that doesn't make them appreciate the hardwork and dedication their parents put into their craft, leading to abysmal results. A good example is Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr whose lack of discipline and dedication overshadowed any promising skillset he may have possessed in resemblance to his father.

Then we have the feeling of being overwhelmed and intimidated at the thought of filling a legends shoes which may negatively affect an athletes career. Italian soccer legend Paolo Maldini's first son Christian was able to get into the Milan Youth system with his fathers influence, but never did manage to break into the first team. His lackluster career so far perhaps prove that his dad's shoes may have been too big to fill.

Not All Doom and Gloom

There have been success stories though, with some even being against the odds. Danish Goalkeeper Kasper Peter Schmeichel, son of legend Peter Schmeichel, wasn't given much of an opportunity with Manchester City and quickly found himself in relative obscurity with some of the very low tier clubs in England. However, he was able to prove himself till he gained enough recognition to be signed by Leicester city, and was a crucial part of the team that made History winning the English Premier League in 2016.

Conclusion

Women are short on this list perhaps because of a number of factors (interest, lack of sporting development, lack of popularity, etcetera). This doesn't mean there are no successful second generation female athletes though, as the Great laila Ali easily comes to my mind.

It is in these instances we are made aware that being the child of someone successful can be both a blessing and a curse. For the most parts however, blessings can be attracted with the level of commitment shown at the get-go.