In that same breath, serving them with integrity is still the most effective route.
“Most people don’t know training.
You can dupe them with deception by playing into their perceptions.
Or you can serve them with integrity, despite it requiring education and real work.
The former will make you short money.
The ladder will enhance the quality of a life.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
I regularly speak on this subject and it’s not because I believe consumers’ are naïve, dumb, or gullible.
I firmly believe the vast majority of consumers’ who are invested in their kids athletics and activities truly want the absolute best for them.
To see the lengths parents will go to for their kids is truly honorable. I know I am grateful my parents did that for me and I aim to do the same for my children as well.
The fact of the matter, and I’ve been around long enough to figure this out, is that most just don’t know any better.
Many consumers’ think because this training thing is “health and fitness” related, they “kind of have an idea as to what their kids should be doing” but there is a bit more depth to this than going for outdoor walks and eating fruits and vegetables (both of which are excellent choices for most people.)
But the even bigger problem to this whole thing being “health and fitness” related is that many people who are in the field of sports or like exercising themselves feel as if they are qualified to coach S&C/Performance.
And this is where the real tragedy occurs.
Adults have overinflated perceptions of their knowledge and abilities and get away with piss poor training prescription for 3 reasons:
1) It is very easy to dupe people with random exercise and there is no barrier of entry into coaching.
2) There is no governing body to hold coaches accountable for their actions.
3) They are dealing with consumers’, again, who unfortunately don’t know any better.
You can quickly see the draw for an early 20’s bro transitioning out of sports to spend a few $100 bucks on gadgets at Dicks Sporting Goods and call himself an “Elite Footwork Guru” as he puts kids through randomized activity at a local field/park.
But in reality, he is no more of a Pro than the guy in a Honda Civic who beats a minivan off the line at a redlight, thinking he’s ready to take his talents to NASCAR.
It will forever be easy to dupe the unknowing.
However, having integrity and doing things the right way will forever be the only way to properly serve them.
