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20 Ways to Prepare Young Athletes for Success in Sports and in Life

Written on February 27, 2013 at 2:41 pm, by Eric Cressey

It’s a challenging time to be a parent. Our twin daughters are seven, and our third daughter is three - and I can already appreciate this fact.

You see, at the end of my own personal youth athletics career, I went directly to a career in coaching young athletes – and I’ve been there for close to two decades now. To give you a little idea of how times have changed since I was a high school athlete:

a. I’d never heard of AAU soccer (or elite travel teams) when I was playing as a teenager (or 8-year-old, for that matter). I think about three kids in my state were selected to the Olympic Development Program when I was a senior because they were pretty good, but the rest of us didn’t get a trophy for trying – and I don’t recall anyone complaining about this lack of hardware on the mantle.

b. I didn’t send an email or use Instant Messenger until I was a freshman in college (1999). Somehow, I miraculously still managed to have normal social interactions with other human beings. I didn’t get a cell phone until I was 23 and in graduate school. And, I’m pretty sure that the gerbil that ran around inside it to keep the power going wasn’t up for working overtime so that I could Snapchat (and the thing couldn’t take pictures, anyway).

c. The guy (Kevin Colleran) who lived next door to me my freshman year in college turned out to be one of Facebook’s first ten employees. So, you could say I had a Facebook friend before Facebook even existed.

By reading this long, meandering introduction, I hope you’ll realize (not that you didn’t already) that kids “these days” are different. They respond to a different style of coaching, and that surely means that parenting styles must be different, too.

One thing I’ve found quite interesting over the past decade or so is that the number of overzealous, pushy, high-pressure parents has increased exponentially. As we all know (and not surprisingly), burnout rates in teen athletes has gone sky-high in this same time period. However, on a more anecdotal level, I know I can speak for myself and many other qualified coaches when I say that the "typical" kid who walks through my door on Day 1 just isn’t as athletic as he used to be. Asymmetries are more profound, injury histories are more extensive, basic movement skill acquisition has been skipped over, and – perhaps more significantly – the athletes are a bit “desensitized” to the overall training process.

They view everything as just another game/practice, so the value of each training exposure is a bit less. This was something that just didn’t happen when I was younger and free play was so heavily emphasized; we got tremendously excited for each opportunity to get better, whether it was a summer soccer camp or a new drill or training approach that our coaches introduced.

Now, make no mistake about it: we aren’t going to end the Technology Era, and I don’t expect travel teams and showcases to go away, either. However, we can change our attitudes toward them and behavior surrounding them – and, most importantly, how we interact with our kids with respect to their athletic careers. To that end, I thought I’d throw out some examples of suggestions on strategies I’ve seen employed by parents who have young athletes who are well-mannered and successful while enjoying sports – from little league to the Big Leagues.

Note: while the overwhelming majority of these lessons apply to both males and females, I’ll be using the “he” pronoun for the sake of brevity. No gender bias here!

1. Never overreact - or underreact.

Sports are games, and games are supposed to be fun. If a kid works his butt off, but the outcome isn’t what he’d hoped for, you should talk about the value in the process rather than dwelling on the target destination he didn’t reach. Crack jokes to lighten the mood, and then try to find a learning experience in losing, as opposed to just reaming a kid out and then sitting in silence for the rest of the ride home. In my experience, parents and coaches who overreact and take the fun out of the game are the single most common reason kids give up a sport.

Underreacting can be equally problematic. The process is definitely more important than the destination, but if a kid doesn’t take the process seriously, he should hear about it – just like if he ignores his homework or refuses to take out the trash. If he is rude to a coach or umpire, doesn’t hustle, shows up late to practice, or poorly handles something that is 100% within his control, he should be disciplined for it. Blindly siding with your kid when he misbehaves or is lazy sets a very dangerous precedent, but it also puts a coach in a very uncomfortable situation of having to discipline your kid because you haven’t.

2. Watch competition, but not practice.

When kids play while parents are watching, they are much less outgoing. However, take the parents away, and they’ll let their guards down, make new friends, and try things they otherwise wouldn’t attempt. This is a big part of both physical and social development. When parents stick around to watch practice/training – even if it’s with wildly supportive intentions – kids won’t come out of their shell. Sports are a great way to teach kids to “roll” with different social circles, and it’s important for them to get this experience without helicopter parents interfering.

By all means, go to game and cheer kids on, but don’t stick around to watch practice. As an added bonus, you avoid the possibility of a coach looking over his shoulder the whole time as he wonders whether you’re second-guessing him.  Every coach dreads the parent who wants to live vicariously through his kid, so the more space you give your child, the less likely you are to be perceived like that.

3. Have your kid play multiple sports.

We’ve been telling folks for years now that early sports specialization doesn’t work as well as people think. Kids are more likely to get injured, and they miss out on a well-rounded sports experience that fosters better athleticism and social interactions over the long haul. However, to supplement this assertion, I’d encourage you to check out this fantastic post from Elsbeth Vaino: Does Early Specialization Help? Elsbeth found that 82% of the top athletes from the four major sports in the U.S. actually played multiple sports. Yes, you read that right – and it is verified by my experience with hundreds of professional athletes each year. Here's a great interview with Blake Griffin that Elsbeth posted:

4. Encourage play, not always practice/competition.

Even when the sport in question remains constant, play is different than practice, as it is far less regimented, and there is far more quality movement because there are fewer stoppages for teaching. It also presents a far richer proprioceptive environment and greater opportunity for social development. Kids need to play more – and in a variety of disciplines. Adolescent athletes need practice. Kids don’t need more competition, though; our modern athletic society already plenty of that.

5. Don’t allow kids to get desensitized to losing.

With more and more tournaments being round robin and double elimination formats, I think we have a generation of kids who has been desensitized to losing. It’s even worse when you have kids who play on multiple teams, as losing for Team A doesn’t matter because Team B has a game less than 24 hours later.

Losing is part of life, but that doesn’t mean that we should be satisfied with it. It should motivate us to work harder so that it doesn’t happen again. This doesn’t just apply to sports, either; it applies to life. As a business owner, I don’t ever plan to hire someone who is comfortable with sucking.

As a little example, my sophomore year of high school, I lost a tennis match in the state singles qualifier to a kid I should have beaten 100% of the time. It was an all-day event with several rounds on a hot day in May, and I cramped up badly in the third set of the match because I hadn’t hydrated well. That loss stung for months – but you can bet that I never forget to bring enough fluids to matches ever again. I beat the guy easily in straight sets the following year, too. Losing sucks, but it teaches you lessons.

6. Make kids do manual labor.

One of my best childhood friends grew up on a farm. He bailed hay, fed the pigs, shaved the sheep, dug holes, you name it. He was also a physical specimen who won a state championship in wrestling and would run through a wall in practices if you had asked him to do so.

Beyond the obvious physical benefits of manual labor, I think that it teaches you that a job isn’t over until the project is completed. You don’t just go out and shovel snow for 15 minutes; you shovel snow until you’ve shoveled all the snow that needs to be shoveled. This is true of almost all manual labor one would do around the house; it doesn’t have to be an official job.

I love seeing kids who are task oriented and not time oriented.

7. Get kids involved in charity work.

If you’re reading this, your kid is spoiled. What do I mean?

You can actually afford to have the internet. A lot of parents and kids don’t have that luxury – or any of a number of other ones that we take for granted.

This past fall, one of our pro guys was telling me about a mission trip he took to the Dominican Republic. While there, he was volunteering to do baseball clinics for local kids – and he said that they came out in droves for the opportunity to be coached by anybody, and certainly a recognizable professional player.

His exact words: “It completely changed my life. I had no idea what my Latin teammates in pro ball had gone through.” And, this came from a guy who was already one of the most humble players I’ve ever coached.

Whether your kid winds up successful in baseball or not, I feel strongly that it’s important to embrace the concept of giving back – both in one’s own community and beyond. Perspective like this is also important because it makes you realize that making an error in the ninth inning isn’t the end of the world – when you have a roof over your head and food on the table.

8. Make kids get up 10-15 minutes earlier to make and eat breakfast.

It drives me bonkers when I hear a kid say that he can’t find time for breakfast. Don’t find time; make time!

My most productive time of day is 5:30AM-9AM. I didn’t realize this until I was in my mid-20s. I only wish that I’d learned much sooner that good things happen when you get up a little earlier:

a. When you get up earlier, you learn to go to bed earlier. Look at research on shift workers’ long term health, and you’ll quickly realize that sleeping more hours before midnight is great for your health.

b. The morning world is a more enlightened world. As an example, look at TV shows at night versus in the morning. In the evening, you get sitcoms, comedy, violence, and infomercials. In the morning, you get the news.

c. Intermittent fasting discussions aside, the research pretty much supports that people – and particularly kids – who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight. Whether it’s because it leads to eating less later in the day, or because people are more likely to eat quality food at home remains to be determined.

d. The world is a lot quieter in the morning, and silence almost always equates to increased focus and productivity.

9. Set an example.

Overweight parents are more likely to have overweight kids. This is just one way in which kids model parents’ behaviors. Work ethic, attention to detail, punctuality, and a host of other factors follow suit. I love it when parents come in to train at the same time as their kids at our facility - and the kids do, too (contrary to what parents usually assume).

10. Don’t contest grades in school.

Teachers don’t give grades; kids earn grades. If you start contesting grades, where do you stop? Do you call college admissions counselors when kids aren’t accepted to the school of their choice? Do you call potential employers because they won’t hire little Johnny – who is now 23 years old and still has Mommy doing his laundry and cooking him mac ‘n cheese?

If you don’t respect a teacher or coach’s authority and appreciate their good intentions, then your kid won’t, either.

11. Don’t brag about your kid.

A while back, my buddy Bill Hartman said something along the following lines: “No matter how strong you think you are, there is still a 120-pound woman warming up with your max somewhere.” He was spot on.

If you are proud of your kid, tell him so. And, feel free to tell your family members. However, it should stop there. There is absolutely, positively nothing that is a bigger turn-off to a coach or scout – or even another parent – than a parent that brags about his kid. Why?

They have always seen someone better. And, to take it a step further, I’d say that most folks “in the know” actually realize that there is an inverse relationship between how much a parent brags and how talented a kid really is. Anecdotally, the best players with whom I’ve worked all have tremendously humble parents who have worked hard to keep them grounded even if others always told them how good they were.

Bragging is entirely different than giving valuable feedback, though. If a parent has thoughts or suggestions that can benefit me in training a young athlete, I am absolutely all ears. Don’t by shy; just use discretion.

12. Never send college recruiting emails on behalf of your kid.

I have a ton of friends who are college coaches who deal with recruits every single day of the week. I have zero friends who are college coaches who prefer to deal with parents over kids during this recruiting process.

Candidly, when you send an email on behalf of your kid, you’re saying, “I want you to give my son a scholarship to play XYZ sport even though I don’t think he’s qualified to put together a 4-5 sentence email for himself. Also, I wipe his butt for him, and he still wets the bed.”

Coaches love kids that show initiative and aren’t shy about asking questions. And, I can guarantee kids who are more heavily involved in their own college selection process are far less likely to transfer in the years that follow. They get the information they need, not what you need.

At the end of the day, this is about educating kids on how to be proactive and decisive. These two traits go a long way in sports and beyond.

13. Don’t tell coaches to “kick his ass.”

If your kid isn’t tough by his teenage years, it’s not because a coach hasn’t pushed him; it’s likely because parents have let him get away with murder early on and not held him accountable. Me simply kicking a kid's ass increases his risk of injury and the likelihood that he’ll hate exercise and develop a sedentary lifestyle when his athletic career ends. I will, however, challenge him, educate him, and hold him accountable for his actions in my presence.

14. Don’t allow limp handshakes or conversations without eye contact.

This point shouldn’t warrant any explanation, but I would just add that coaches and scouts really do pay attention to things like this. Sprinting out to your position on the field, picking up equipment after a game, and cheering on teammates are all little things you can do to show that you really care. If you approach one part of your life apathetically, who is to say that it won’t carry over to everything else that you do?

15. Surround kids with unconditionally positive people.

Check out this awesome article about the positive response Colorado Rockies players had to the hiring of Dante Bichette as hitting coach a few years ago. I’ve gotten to know Dante pretty well, and he’s one of the most down-to-Earth and optimistic guys you’ll ever meet. In this article, they quoted Carlos Gonzalez – one of the top players in Major League Baseball – as saying, "Just being honest, I don't want a guy who's always being negative. He's been really good for me already." Guys in the big leagues are conditioned more than anyone else to learn to deal with failure; after all, the best hitters on the planet still fail 60-70% of the time! Yet, they STILL generally respond more favorably to people who are positive. Don’t you think that kids who are less prepared would need that unconditionally positive influence even more?

The secret is to find unconditionally positive people who know their stuff and then put your trust in them. You wouldn’t tell your accountant how to do your taxes, and you wouldn’t tell your lawyer how to write up your contracts. So, don’t tell coaches how to do their jobs after you’ve already recognized that they are experts and mentors in their area.

16. Make kids write thank you notes.

A note of appreciation goes a long way, particularly if it is written or typed with proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

17. Educate kids on how to read a situation as casual or formal.

Remember back in high school when you had to dress up on game days? Usually, 90% of the team did it the right way – and there were 1-2 schmucks who stubbornly resisted. They didn’t tie their ties tight enough, wore sneakers with dress pants, or continued to let their khakis hang way too far down on their butts. They’re also the people who have to be forced to write the aforementioned thank you notes, and it usually begins with “thx 4 ur gift.” We’ve even had kids submit internship application essays that consisted of one long paragraph with no capitalization at the beginning of sentences. I’m not making this up.

They live in the texting and tweeting world and have no idea when it’s appropriate to be casual versus formal. I’d wager that most of those guys are still living in their parents’ basement, too. Even more now than in previous decades, it’s important to hammer home that kids need to be more formal in writing, conversation, and dress.

18. Educate kids on the dangers of technology.

This was not something that most of us encountered during our younger years, as Twitter and Facebook weren't around until just recently.  Kids have said stupid things since the beginning of time, but not until now was it easy for something dumb on the internet to "go viral" so quickly.  Every week, we hear stories of professional and collegiate athletes getting into trouble for what they post as status updates on social networks.  Athletes have been fined, released, and not signed in the first place because of stupid things they've said online.  While college and professional teams are doing their best to include social networking training in their education of players, it should start well in advance with some common sense talks with parents.  Otherwise, it's possible to undo a lot of good with one bad post.

19. Don’t give participation trophies.

My good friend Alwyn Cosgrove has written in the past about how there are always "overcorrections" in the fitness industry, as the pendulum goes too far in one direction after a long period at the other end of the spectrum.  He cites the public's perception on aerobic exercise, carbohydrate intake, and static stretching as good examples.  We want them all to be bad or good; there is no middle ground.

Participation trophies are the "yin" to the "yang" of the overbearing parent or crazy little league coach.  Rather than bring the pendulum back to center by educating kids that the true reward is the satisfaction that comes from knowing they did the best they could do, we've given every kid a trophy to make him feel special - even though all the kids get the same trophy.  Yes, the kid who shows up late to practice and swears at the coach gets the same trophy as everyone else.

A trophy is something a kid should look back on years later as a reminder of fond memories of hard work, teamwork, and a job well done.  It shouldn't be something that gets thrown in a box with a few dozen other participation trophies that have absolutely no sentimental or educational value.

My biggest concern with participation trophies, however, is that they a) diminish the value of exceptional performance/service and b) condition kids to think that things will always work out okay in the end. Sorry, but the sooner we make kids realize they don't deserve a party every time they accomplish anything, the better off we'll be.

20. Give kids opportunities to demonstrate responsibility – and monitor performance.

I can only imagine how tough it is as a parent to walk the fine line between doing something for your child and just telling him to figure it out for himself.  From my vantage point, though, there needs to be a lot more of the latter.  Maybe I just see it through this lens because I am often going out of my way to encourage parents to force kids to be proactive during the college recruiting process.  And, I like it when kids schedule their sessions with us, rather than the parents sending the email or making the phone call for them.

That said, I love it when I hear about parents giving kids challenges for them to demonstrate responsibility. Whether there are chores with checklists, or they have to take care of pets, I think it's awesome for kids to be faced with new challenges with monitored performance.  Are all the boxes checked?  Is there dog poop on the floor or a dead guppy in the fish bowl?  Candidly, I can't remember the last time that I hear of a kid earning an allowance; does that even happen anymore?  Fostering accountability at a young age is a powerful thing.

Closing Thoughts

It's taken me over 3,800 words to spit out all my random thoughts on this front, but I wanted to finish with one last thought that isn't so random: I think there is a lot that is right about youth sports these days.  More girls are playing sports than ever before. There are loads of wildly passionate coaches out there who are trying to do the right thing. Information on training and coaching is more readily available than ever before. Sports medicine has improved dramatically to help kids with injuries more quickly and effectively. I could go on and on.

We have to remember that at the end of the day, less than 1% of the kids who participate in youth sports will become professional athletes. However, sports are still an outstanding medium through which to instill a variety of favorable qualities beyond just athleticism. To that end, I hope that some of the suggestions here will help to make kids not only better athletes, but better people, too.

For more information, you may be interested in the International Youth Conditioning Association High School Strength and Conditioning Certification; I was a co-author of this resource.

 

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86 Responses to “20 Ways to Prepare Young Athletes for Success in Sports and in Life”

  1. John Bradley Says:

    This post and the comments that follow offer hope that in a society that has digressed in so many ways (entitlement mentality< nuff said)… There are people who get it. Bravo Eric.

  2. Vaseem Says:

    I have just mailed this to all the parents in my son’s football (“soccer” to you Yanks!) academy. There’s a longstanding joke that although I’m the most vociferous cheerleader for games, I always leave my son with the coaches during practice and hit the gym myself…and i’ve always said it will teach him to bemore sociable and to grow up. Great to see EC agrees with me.

    This is a really good article that all parents of sporting mum’s and dads should take to heart…

  3. Jaimie Says:

    Wonderful post! I shared this with former teachers, coaches,friends and family.

    We are also printing it out and going to highligh certain points with our eight year old daughter.

    As a highschool/college femail athlete that is now struggling with how to raise a little athlete this article has been great. Especially since I have also coached her in Soccer and basketball. The challenges of being parent and coach are always there. She tends to be on the non-competitive side and in it for the social aspect, which is great but I also struggle with the fact she doesn’t always work as hard as I want her to ;( But again, I am coaching so your point about parentst should not be at practices is a little hard to follow!

  4. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thanks, Jaimie!

  5. Scott Umberger Says:

    I tell you what EC, you hit the nail on the head with this one.. My wife and I are in the process of adopting a child(not a dog, already have done that 2x). As a requirement of the process we have to attend 3 “parenting classes” which have turned out to be a great experience for various reasons. My point is that I’ve been thinking about parenting and it always goes back to #1 my experience as an athlete and #2 my experience as a coach. I’ve been compiling a “mental list” of the lessons that I’ve learned and things that have gone I don’t like with some athletes that I’ve coached. Your list is awesome and I don’t think that I could honestly add to it. Probably your best post and that’s saying a lot because you consistently have generated a lot of great content over the years.

  6. John Says:

    Very good article. I have been guilty of more than one of the missteps. The key to being a passionate parent is realizing your mistakes and learning from them. Adjust and grow.
    As for the “everyone gets a trophy” culture of youth sports, you are dead on. My son, having played various sports from a young age, has collected a bunch of trophies. When he was 14 and new to pitching his Babe Ruth All Star team got knocked out of the state tournament pretty early. He pitched twice and got roughed up both times. I encouraged him to use the experience as motivation and a measuring stick, work at it and see if you can do better next year. The trophy he received for winning tournament MVP for our state Babe Ruth tournament the next year while leading his team to the title is the only one he leaves out on display. Why? He knows it is the one HE earned. No one else got one. The trophy for being the #4 off the bench in basketball ends up somewhere in the underwear drawer.
    Keep up the good work.

  7. Eric Cressey Says:

    Well said, John!

  8. lowell Says:

    My superiors and I disagree on parents attending practice sessions. I want them there for two reasons: 1) Pedofile issues 2) Discipline

  9. Craig Milne Says:

    59 comments generated and counting…Response to an idea is usually a good indicator.
    As a coach and teacher of young children, I am constantly bemused by kids claiming ‘I’m mean’ or ‘standing in shock’ when I urge them to try a ‘little’ bit harder or finish their effort (monitoring their safety at all times)…I just go with it lately and say ‘I might be mean but I promise you will survive!’

  10. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thanks, Craig!

  11. Duceman Says:

    Excellent read. Well done.

  12. Pat McCaffrey Says:

    Great post. As a parent of three young children that are just getting started with sports and activities this article really hit home. Thanks

  13. Alison Hitesman Says:

    From 25+ years coaching,club, high school and college this is a Great overview of the complexities of coaching today’s kids. I would add as a coach we need to be better! There are too many coaches creating the tension and anxiety over kid’s future in sports. Parents get caught in what is the best pathway. Specialization is not best but too many single sport coaches dont want their star ahtlete being interested in another sports. So they demand kids to be one soport only and parents/kids get caught in a tug-o-war.2nd-coaches need to know how to play all their kids in meaningful ways to avoid star treatment and developing only early developed kids. Parents/kids feel anxious more when a coach only focuses on a very few star ahtletes. So coaches need to learn to develop all kids and not just those who make you look good. Think long term- life time benefits, coaching the full kid and all kids. If he was good enough to make the team he is good enough to be played in real time. And last be honest with yourself, the kids and the parents. it wont stop all the bad ways but it may lead others to follow.

  14. Eric Cressey Says:

    Well said, Alison!

  15. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thanks, Pat! Glad you enjoyed it.

  16. Michael Mullin Says:

    Your wisdom never fails to amaze me Eric. I have forwarded this on to every parent of an athlete, coach, performance coach, physical therapist and sports medicine practitioner I could think of. These are philosophies we should all follow societally from youth on up. As a coach and parent of a high schooler who is driven to play lacrosse in college, it shows the importance of a careful balance of guidance without controlling, encouragement without pushing, following their lead without taking over, and mutual respect without attitude. Thank you. . .

  17. Ralph Says:

    Wow. For not being a parent, you sure have some spot-on wisdom/advice for parents and their relationship to kiddo/athletes.

    And, your piece gives a glimpse into the other side (coaching.)

    I’m a guilty father who helicopters my 5 year old daughter sometimes.

    Now I have some tools for self to ponder.

    Great piece and i’ll be back to your site for sure!

  18. Jonathan Wood Says:

    To be honest, I just discovered your blog a few days ago Eric, but after reading this post I will definitely stick around. This is one of the best posts I`ve read in a while.

    I think that the #15 may be one of the most powerful tips you`ve shared, at least as far as I`m concerned. Positive surroundings and positive people is what I was lacking when I was growing up, but I`m going to make sure my kids have it… Thank you for sharing this awesome post

  19. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thanks, Ralph! I appreciate the kind words.

  20. Peter Ejemyr, Sweden Says:

    Dear Sir!

    Thank you for a great article which I will share with many others in Sweden, youth sport parents and coaches/club officials.

    However, I disagree with your advise #3 and would argue that the argument put forward in support for this argument is logically flawed.

    But first, it is worth noting that “early sports specialization” is not defined. What is “early”? 6-8-10-12-14 years of age?

    Still; using the stats that “82% of the top athletes from the four major sports in the U.S. actually played multiple sports” could be interpreted in another way. It s more plausible that the individuals who ended up as top atheletes were already in the early ages so much more talented than same-age kids that they could goof around in many sports and beat the other kids anyway…

    I live in Sweden, I am a fencing parent and club official and when I question why an 11 year old kid should do soccer once a week, indoor bandy once a week and fencing once a week I often get comments like “Well, you know, Foppa and Sudden did not specialize in Incehockey until mid-teens”. For you Yanks, “Foppa” and “Sudden” is the NHL stars Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin…

    And it is true that “Foppa” and “Sudden” did nor specialize early.

    But my kid is not a super multisport talent as “Foppa” and “Sudden”. Few of our kids are. Very few!

    My son tried differnet sports before getting hooked on fencing. He is now relatively successful at least on a national level. He is now 14 and have succeded both in competitions and more importantly on a social level. He loves his sport enough to strive acively both to become a referee and to train to become a coach. This without giving up the dream of good results in coming years on the European level (very hard) or in the Worlds (slightly easier).

    My point is; I know that if I had not encourage him to focus on one sport from the age of 10, he would not be in sports at all today! I have no idea if this will lead to the Olympics in 2024, to a great referee or a decent coach. For me whichever is quite good.

    But I know that as long as the club offers a varying physical training regime, focusing on one sport is not bad. Quite the opposite.

    Respectfully,

    Peter Ejemr, Sweden

  21. Eric Cressey Says:

    Peter,

    Great post, but I think this sums it up:

    “But I know that as long as the club offers a varying physical training regime, focusing on one sport is not bad.”

    The truth is that most clubs DON’T do that. They become very one-dimensional. Specialization is okay as long as special precautions are taken. We have a lot of kids who only do organized baseball, but they still take time off from throwing and participate in year-round strength and conditioning.

  22. Kathleen Duff Says:

    Eric, your article is fabulous and well written. As a soccer coach who has been teaching and working with kids for 35 years, you have pointed out everything I have said or have wanted to for years! Sports allows us to teach life lessons ~ those that are applicable well beyond a kid’s playing years. Not only are today’s athletes quite different than they were when I first started coaching out of college, so are the parents. Add to the mix that we now have a generation of parents who also played soccer……and “those who think they know it all, bother those of us who do,” as my mentor would say! Thanks for posting such a great read with a wealth of information for parents and coaches.

  23. raimond shkoza Says:

    i learned something very important,not to brag.thank you very much.

  24. Karen Dillon Says:

    Great info. Have twin 15 yr old boys. Have played sports since they were 5. Seen crazy parents and endured crazy coaches. They play lacrosse for their highschool ( which won the state championship this year) what is frustrating is in trying to play winter basketball u have to sign contract u wont play other sports. They have to do winter indoor lacrosse as part of high school team. So how do u be a multisport athlete. I love to watch them play any and all sports. Keeps them out of trouble and tires them out!

  25. Stacie Widhelm Says:

    This is such a great article! Thanks Eric!

  26. Deb Says:

    Eric –

    GREAT article! I love it, agree with you on every point, and am going to share it on my FB page. It’s well rounded from more than just a physical perspective, and that’s exactly what competitive sports should bring to a persons life.

    My favorite is the participation trophies. Never understood those, and frankly, they do more harm than good. Kids in general, don’t know how to lose anymore. It’s feel good all the time, which really doesn’t help them grow at all.

    Thanks again and keep up the great work.

  27. Heidi compos Says:

    Great post Eric…had my two high school age kids read this!

  28. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thanks, Heidi!

  29. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thank you, Stacie!

  30. Eric Cressey Says:

    Thanks, Deb!

  31. Eric Cressey Says:

    Karen,

    I think the answer is very simple: never give your financial support to any organization that insists a 15-year-old not play other sports. Take your business elsewhere and give it to an organization that is supportive of an appropriate long-term athletic development model.

  32. Anthony Says:

    Wow, just wow. This post is brillant. I have started training kits recently and this is spot on. This is beyond great, it’s Master Yoda level.

  33. Trent Says:

    This article is so good on so many levels! Integrity and responsibility: rare but refreshing when you see it.

  34. Sandria Warne Says:

    Such a great article Eric..!! I would surely love to share this post with my kids. Its very true that any sport needs full encouragement & support from peers and family. To get such encouragement we always need to surround our kids with positive people. I recently heard a speech by cricketer Adam Gilchrist, which was really very motivating. There also some other motivational sports guest speakers who also shared their own stories with the audience.

  35. Mallory Petrus Says:

    Incredible article. Applies to so much more than sports. Love your outlook.

  36. Melisa Says:

    This is a great article. I am struggling with my 13 year olds “I don’t care” attitude, not sure if it’s hormones or what is going on. This had multiple good points…he loves football and has played basketball up to this point but will not be this year.


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