We’re prioritzing the short shelf life, inside the lines lessons at the expense of the valuable lessons that can serve our kids far beyond the game.
“The cleats will come off for good one day.
The pants and the jersey, too.
If we want lasting vale out of sports, we must help the kids leverage the lessons they provide for life outside the lines.
Contributing to the toxicity we know today only robs them of value tomorrow.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
Sports are important.
Sports have the ability to teach some of the most valuable life lessons.
Sports have the ability to equip our kids with mental and physical skills that can give them distinct advantages in the real world.
Some people may disagree with me or think I might be exaggerating.
“Pssh.. What is football going to teach my kid about business?”
The reason my stance seems a bit farfetched is because we have gotten so far away from what made youth sports great to begin with.
We’ve traded “love of the game”, “overcoming adversity”, and building rich, lasting bonds with a collective group, for toxic, manipulative, win right now, or run to (perceived) greener grass elsewhere culture.
And by “we” I’m not referring to the kids.
I’m referring to adults.
“Huh?”
Kids are byproducts of their environments and what is tolerated within them.
You think we got to where we are in youth sports because the kids did this?
No chance.
We got here because egotistical adults have tried to live vicariously through their kids.
A little manipulation turned into a lot of manipulation, so now, even when you talk to a rational parent at the ball field, you’ll simply get a “well, this is just the way it is these days.”
And just like that, right before our eyes, we hijacked youth sports.
Now, we’re so hyper-focused on “skill development” and tip toeing around on egg shells in an effort not to piss off some power-hungry coach who you (falsely) believe to hold the keys to your child’s future.
Of course the sports are still “team” sports, but they aren’t real teams anymore.
Don’t believe me? Watch what happens to any team that hits the slightest resemblance of adversity.
In school ball, they transfer like roaches when you turn on a light and in travel ball, they change teams faster than the flip of said light switch.
We’re missing the whole point.
99.999% of kids aren’t going pro in sports. I don’t care how much money you pump into “lessons”.
The real lessons we need to be focused on are the ones they can leverage in sport that will serve them in life beyond it. The life that’s coming real soon.
Adults are ignorantly robbing them of the most important part and most don’t know or care until it’s all said and done.
Once they get a few years removed it hits them.
“What the hell was the point of all that?”
