Those properly teaching physical culture to our kids are their last line of physical literacy defense.
“We don’t use a developmental model in youth sports.
We’ve essentially removed (real) PE from school.
Our kids spend more time in chairs/in front of screens than ever before.
A well-coached, development focused S&C program isn’t a “good idea” in 2024.
It’s their only hope.”
-Ray Zingler on X
I mean what are we doing?
Are we just going to keep taking out and taking out, until we bake every resemblance of physical exertion out of their lives?
We’ve already taken physical labor off their plates.
Kids aren’t mowing lawns, raking leaves, or digging trenches to lay drainpipes anymore,
At school, PE has turned into playing snapchat on their phones in the shade or walking around a track.
And in sport they are doing next to ZERO physical preparation, and a massive abundance of sport specific skill work.
We have kids who know every bunt coverage under the sun but can’t run a mile or do a forward roll.
And then when they’re done with the skill specific training, they sit and play on their phones, or hang out with virtual friends on video games.
As a highly intelligent species who has evolved to take the path of least resistance, I can promise you, this evolution, isn’t a positive one.
Our kids are devolving, and their lack of physical literacy coupled with poor dietary habits are setting them up for a lifetime of struggle.
I wish I could say this is going to one day bite them in the butt if we don’t get it together, but it already has. And it’s only getting worse.
This is a big deal that needs immediate attention.
I used to think what I was doing at Zingler Strength was about Sports Performance training, and to an extent, it obviously is, but I’ve learned over the last decade, it’s about a lot more than that.
This “training” that we’re doing isn’t only about or for sports.
This is for life.
We in the “Physical Culture” world are their last line of defense.
Nobody is teaching our kids how to work hard.
Shit, forget the “hard” part. Nobody is teaching our kids how to physically work. At all.
They literally don’t know how, outside of the abundance of specific work that they’re doing in sport practice/instruction.
In the modern era, a sound, well coached Strength & Conditioning program isn’t merely a “good idea”.
It’s literally their only hope, not only to become more dynamic, robust athletes, but to grow into physically capable young adults who can add value to society.
