Not only is doing more not better, it’s counterproductive.
“‘So, you only need a 5-ton AC unit to cool your house, but here, buy the 15-ton at the heightened expense of your power bill, too..’
‘Yeah right. Give me the 5-ton.’
Also:
‘Your kid is playing an extreme volume of sport, but we think he needs even more lessons.’
‘Sold.’
America.”
-Ray Zingler on X
Why is it that we look for the optimal effective dose for damn near everything in our lives, but when it comes to our kids activities, we throw that rationale out the window.
I mean think about it.
From your allergy medication to your recipes, you are always looking to “get it right”.
We do this because we know that not only is “more” not better, it’s often wasteful and can very rapidly become outright dangerous if we start to abuse excess.
If you don’t believe me, 3x the sugar the next 5 times you make cookies and then look at your gut in the mirror.
I’ve learned that the reason people misguidedly adopted the “more is better” narrative with our kids sports is because they just don’t know any better.
Most parents obviously want what is best for their kids and they are willing to do any and everything they can to best position them.
And when that travel ball coach is breathing fire down your neck about the outright necessity of that next tournament, in your gut, you probably know it’s bullshit, but when it comes to Timmy being left out, submission is your solution.
I get it.
And I appreciate parents who are willing to do anything for their kids.
I likely wouldn’t have the platform I have today if it wasn’t for my parents being irrationally generous when I was a boy.
But here’s the fact of the matter:
Just as we seek to prescribe the optimal effective doses for everything else in our lives, we must do the same for our kids and their sports.
Your “willingness” to do any and everything for your kids and their sports is turning into a net negative because not only do they not need the volume, they physiologically can’t handle it.
And they’re getting hurt, burnt out, and leaving sports earlier and earlier every year.
I know there is pressure.
I know you feel like you must keep up with the Joneses…
But you don’t.
The model is broken.
And financially motivated adults camouflaged as “leaders” are taking from far more than your bank account.
They’re taking from your kid’s development potential and love for the game.
Most just don’t discover this until it’s over.
