Youth Sport Overtraining is a real epidemic Parents want to live out their dreams through their children, are utterly clueless about healthy motor and body development Kids get put into year around leagues before they are 10, there is zero down time delusional dads and moms hire "Pro coaches" who claim they'll make them better athletes with "Strength and conditioning" Playing is no longer for fun, its to stand out in the travel league so they can dominate in the fall league so they get 1st string selection for the HS team they are transferring to The result is burnout, overuse injuries that used to be seen only in veteran pro players, and it becomes a Pure survivorship bias scenario of who can avoid getting hurt The irony to all this is D1 and Pro coaches will always admit that the best athletes are BORN, genetics are real, and its better to have a well rounded athlete that played multiple sports with down time and rest than a mediocre specialized athlete thats one bad play from getting hurt
Youth Sport Overtraining is a real epidemic Parents want to live out their dreams through their children, are utterly clueless about healthy motor and body development Kids get put into year around leagues before they are 10, there is zero down time delusional dads and moms hire "Pro coaches" who claim they'll make them better athletes with "Strength and conditioning" Playing is no longer for fun, its to stand out in the travel league so they can dominate in the fall league so they get 1st string selection for the HS team they are transferring to The result is burnout, overuse injuries that used to be seen only in veteran pro players, and it becomes a Pure survivorship bias scenario of who can avoid getting hurt The irony to all this is D1 and Pro coaches will always admit that the best athletes are BORN, genetics are real, and its better to have a well rounded athlete that played multiple sports with down time and rest than a mediocre specialized athlete thats one bad play from getting hurt
@AJA_Cortes What are your thoughts if the kid *loves* doing it? I.e. specializing, doing the training, etc?
@AJA_Cortes This is nothing new. I have seen this since the 80's
@AJA_Cortes Crazy how many kids I grew up with were groomed to go pro, burnt out in high school and had zero direction once the dream that wasn’t even theirs died. Most still in rural hometown working low paying wage job but super talented
As a former athlete & dad heavily involved in youth sports, it truly is a bleak situation Little league, pop warner, etc. were the backbone of the community Parents, neighbors, and kids bonded over these institutions And it changed from one season to the next Now, kids are raised as one-sport athletes from the moment they take the field on their "7U Elite" travel team Their bodies develop only knowing singular sport-specific movements By the time they're 16, the bottom 99% are burned out, and/or have suffered injuries unheard 20+ years ago Worse, they haven't developed that local bond, as their teams are an amalgamation of kids from all over the county/state who have no vested interest in team/unity - with their dads lurking closely waiting for their opportunity to vicariously one-up each other Sad state of affairs
@AJA_Cortes Totally agree-true athletes are born I think of guys like Allen Iverson, Randy Moss, Dave Winfield etc who all starred and excelled in multiple sports before finally choosing their favorite. Watching Allen Iverson play QB is amazing. He was like Michael Vick
@AJA_Cortes A common theme I've seen with a lot of pro footballers is their dads were extremely critical of them, despite their brilliance. Avoiding their dads disapproval became the driving force behind their success
@AJA_Cortes If my future kids have fun playing sports, learn how to make friends, work in a team, and learn about hard work and physical fitness - I consider it a massive win. If they win titles then that's just a minor bonus
@AJA_Cortes You just need to get your kid involved in the fundamentals when they are growing up. When they are teenagers they will show if they have the natural talent or not to go to the next level. There is no reason they have to do more than regular Little League.
@AJA_Cortes Pro athletes that specialize before 14-16 are the exception, not the rule. Parents need to pick up a copy of "Range," and dig into the research: amzn.to/42tZe3j
@AJA_Cortes Big Tom izzo fan here He puts basketball recruits who play multiple sports especially football at a higher pedestal