Youth sports are about using the emotional levers, our kids, to generate adult dollars.
“In the modern youth sports era, FEW Travel Sport coaches are going to share with kids what’s best for their overall athletic development.
They are going to tell kids to do what fits their biased narrative, to keep them doing what’s most financially beneficial to themselves.”
-Ray Zingler on X
Sports are in a weird place right now.
In the NFL if you tackle someone too hard, they eject you from the game and send you a fine.
In college, the transfer portal is affirming the concept of instant gratification teaching kids to run to (perceived) greener grass.
And the negative effects of higher-level sport are trickling down into our youth levels.
High School sports are competing, and in many ways getting their butts kicked, with travel sports.
And rec sports, well do those even exist anymore? If they do, I promise there are financially motivated people in your town, adults in fact, working daily to destroy them.
The sad reality is that we’re lost, especially at the youth, middle, and high school levels.
And the solution is painlessly simple, but we’re blinded.
We’re blinded because the adults who claim to be “in it for the kids” use our kids as the emotional levers they are to get what they want.
And in today’s world that is money, power, & greed. The same thing it’s always been and will forever be.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying some of these adults aren’t qualified. I’m not saying some aren’t passionate about the sports they coach. And I’m not even going as far as saying that some of them don’t love the kids (on the surface).
But think critically for a second.
Take the money out of travel sports for 1 month.
Guess what happens?
Those practices get canceled.
Those lessons get canceled.
That tournament gets canceled.
That showcase gets canceled.
All the sudden these coaches aren’t as passionate anymore.
They don’t love the kids “as much” anymore.
While this is obviously a faux scenario, it’s very important to use it as a critical thinking experiment.
Ask yourself this simple question: “Is what this coach/organization recommending absolutely necessary and best for my child’s mental, physical, and emotional development?”
You’ll be able to answer no.
Now, take it a step further, ask your kids travel coach. And if he says yes, turn on your bullshit meter and ask him to defend his answer.
We are where are because of what we tolerate.
It isn’t about the kid’s development.
It’s about the adult dollars.
And it’s only going to get worse unless we lead a course correction.
