There's an old saying about the difference between the Russian/Soviet mindset to sports and the American.
In Russia, you get in shape to play sports.
In America, you play sports to get in shape.
What they mean is, in the USSR they had rigorous athletic training that covered General Physical Preparedness (GPP) starting at a young age. So no matter what, all children had a baseline of athleticism before pre-teen years when they would branch off and specialize in one sport for the rest of their lives. In the US, kids play a plethora of sports but without focus on GPP. Sports are often used as a tool to avoid being fat.
In Russia, you get in shape to play sports.
In America, you play sports to get in shape.
What they mean is, in the USSR they had rigorous athletic training that covered General Physical Preparedness (GPP) starting at a young age. So no matter what, all children had a baseline of athleticism before pre-teen years when they would branch off and specialize in one sport for the rest of their lives. In the US, kids play a plethora of sports but without focus on GPP. Sports are often used as a tool to avoid being fat.