It isn’t the be all end all, but it holds the keys to the qualities most are after.
“This sounds simple & meatheadish, but as somebody who has been intently focused and working specifically with and around youth/developing athletes every day of my life for closing in on 2 decades, I can tell you this:
Most of their ‘problems’ stem from a lack of strength.”
-Ray Zingler on Twitter
Trust me, I wish it was more nuanced and complex than it sounds.
Do you realize how hard it is in 2023 to sell fundamentals and hard work in order to feed your family in a world that is grooming folks to expect instant gratification and “an easier way”?
It’s a full contact sport that doesn’t sleep. Ever.
As somebody who spends a copious amount of hours working on my craft 7 days a week, I assure you I’d be more than game to spend time studying, learning, and implementing something flashy, if it worked.
The only problem for me is that I know that even if “it” is out there, it would come at the expense of my integrity because scientifically, developmentally speaking, the fundamentals are what the kids need.
For this reason, I’ll keep on, what some might consider bullishly, sharpening the old axe right in the face of flashy pop culture.
Think about it.
We have all these fancy practitioners (trust me, many are smart and many are helpful) who are working to convince parents and kids that they have all these different problems they need to solve for.
And while these practitioners aren’t technically wrong, many of the issues stem from the truth that the kids just aren’t strong enough.
They aren’t slow because they lack mobility.
They don’t lack flexibility because of tight hamstrings.
They aren’t not starting on the ball team because they have bad mechanics.
They are slow, inflexible, and don’t start because they aren’t strong enough.
Again, I know it sounds simple. I know it sounds meat-headish. And you might even be thinking to yourself, “this guy is crazy”.
It’s not all about strength. It’s not. No performance coach worth their salt will ever tell you that.
But at some point strength has got to be talked about and prioritized.
It has to be, because strength, while again, not the be all end all, is the foundation for EVERYTHING else.
You don’t find weak and successful athletes.
No, its not about 600 pound deadlifts.
But it IS about increasing relative strength to fuel all the other outputs that everyone is after as they try to dance around the one that feeds them all.
99%+ of youth athletes will benefit from getting stronger.
