It’s time we start viewing youth sports from an unbiased lens, globally & objectively.
“There is a large difference between ‘what’s best’ for our kids and what’s pushed on them.
The majority of people encouraging ‘developmental’ behaviors for our kids don’t care abut their development.
They don’t even know what development looks like.
They just know you’ll pay.”
-Ray Zingler on X
Is what you’re signing them up to do what they need to be doing?
Are you sure?
Have you looked at the situation globally & objectively?
Have you pillaged the abundance of research to confirm your stance with data?
Or are you easily swayed by what the financially motivated coach is telling you your kids “need” to be doing (provided he’s being paid to facilitate it)?
Obviously, it’s the ladder, right?
But we like to play make believe and justify our actions because we falsely believe, “This guy, who’s nice, probably has good intentions.”
Said differently, “It’s much easier and there is less work involved in just following the crowd and doing what everybody else is doing, so who cares if it works, take my money. What time is the lesson again?”
It’s a simple equation, but we love to act like 2+2=10 in youth sports despite knowing it’s not true.
We choose ignorance because, Timmy likes baseball so let’s let him do baseball stuff.
Without realizing the net negative associated with the extreme volumes.
Obviously, they’re not going to get any better doing more of what they’re already doing too much of, without enhancing their general capacities.
Why?
Specific potential is QUICKLY capped, by the lack of quality and depth found within their general base.
You can shell out all the money in the world for more footwork and shot placement drills, but it will never do a damn bit of good if the motor operating it all has the output of a shoddy Pinto.
Again, this is childlike commonsense we totally ignore, because “we saw the anomaly over there do it this way, so damnit we’re doing it, too.”
Rest assured, people can say the word “development” all day long.
But I promise you this, most don’t have a clue in hell what it means, much less how to administer it.
If they did, they wouldn’t be encouraging the abundance of counter-development activities.
They’re just using the buzzwords because they know not only will you not check them; you’ll pay in a hurry.
If its development we’re after, and boy, do our kids DESPERATELY need development, we need to stop buying this faux garbage and start buying the real stuff, from real Pros.
