And that is the land of Untapped Potential
“One of the most liberating things a parent can do for their child in youth sports, is not feed into the adult profitability model we use today..
But learn & lead so that you can strategically place them in environments with real mentors who are focused on their actual development.”
-Ray Zingler on X
I know it feels like you have to because “this is the way things are these days,” but you don’t have to.
You don’t have to submit to the broken narrative being pushed by adults who are looking out for their own interests and not the interests of you or your children.
It’s a hard pill to swallow, but the fact of the matter is that most people don’t want what’s best for you or your kids.
They want the version of you and your behavior that is best for themselves.
Here’s the deal:
If the way things currently are, are what was best for our kids, then every kid would be reaching the pinnacle of their potential, but this isn’t what’s happening.
Kids are overused, injured, burnt out, and for the most part, all attaining the same net outcomes.
Yet we use the outliers (who usually do the least) to justify and set the table for the behavior for the masses.
Many kids are looking forward to the day all this political nonsense comes to an end.
They may not tell you that, but they tell me that all the time and its heartbreaking.
“Please don’t tell my parents, but I don’t want to play anymore, but I feel like I have to because of all my dad has put into this.”
-Way more than one 12-year-old.
And one is far too many.
I watch all this stuff.
I have for decades.
I pay attention.
I see how it plays out.
I’ve read the back of the book.
I can promise you there is no more liberating feeling in the world as a parent in the “youth sports” phase of life than to not submit to the adult centric model of youth sports that we’re living in today.
That showcase isn’t about opportunities for your son. It’s an adult fundraiser.
I implore parents to educate themselves.
Look at the data.
Look at the facts.
Take the emotion out of it.
And from an unbiased, not truth, but fact-based perspective, use data and intuition to position your kids in (real) growth-oriented environments and around mentors who truly have their best interests in mind.
It will make all the difference in their worlds.
