Fundamentally & scientifically, yet we turn a blind eye to it more and more with each passing day.
“At the end of the day, our youth athlete development model is just plain wrong.
It’s not about ‘what’s best’. If it were, the current model would be flipped upside down on its head.
It’s about manipulating unknowing people’s time with FOMO tactics to collect (steal) dollars.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
The youth athletic development model has undergone a dramatic shift in the last 10 years.
The problem with “shifts” is that they aren’t always right.
In this case, this shift has gone against the very idea of (actual) athletic development.
We are now a culture who now prioritizes skill over development.
We are placing all of the emphasis on sport specifics and sport IQ, which are not inherently bad things. The problem arises when we overprescribe these concepts at the expense of developing athletically to make our athletes more valuable at and with these concepts.
Put differently, we are giving our kids the most cutting edge, advanced cannon the world has ever seen and they are fooling around trying to operate it in a canoe with holes patched via duct tape.
Even if they do figure out how to operate it, they are still in loads of trouble with the aftermath.
Why is it like this?
It’s not my opinion, but a proven fact that an athletes potential hinges on the quality of his or her athletic base. We can’t just skip over the athletic base building, jump right to the over-prescription of a specific activity and then expect that our kids are going to build robust athleticism.
That would be like a student in the classroom selling out on math. Taking all the math courses, seeking all the math tutors, and spending all their time on math, math, math, and assuming that they will become a well-rounded student in Science, History, and English as well.
I think most people understand and probably agree with what I am saying. It’s common knowledge, I get it.
But why aren’t we acting on common knowledge?
It’s because social media and greedy individuals have exploited an emotional construct.
Social & Charlatans are preying upon the naïve, unknowing and using our children as hostages, forcing parents to fall in line with the “it’s just the way it is these days” narrative.
It’s not though.
The way things are today are fundamentally and scientifically wrong. And they are only getting more wrong with each passing day.
Are you going to be part of the problem or help our kids and be part of the solution?
It’s up to you.
