The problem with this analogy is that athletes have particular physical attributes that cannot be taught or learnt, and their possession of those attributes and

The problem with this analogy is that athletes have particular physical attributes that cannot be taught or learnt, and their possession of those attributes and their ability to use them (while they're still young) is what gives them their value. The bell curve of athletic ability is a different one to that of coaching ability and there isn't a meta-bell curve that joins the two together. Software engineering and software engineering management are both brain work that require a similar level of intelligence. It's the same bell curve if you zoom out a bit. Also in some sports the coaches make more than the athletes, and in others the athletes make more than the coaches. You can't generalise.