Is quality generalized training (health & wellness literacy) “too expensive?”
“When you get to the brass tacks, being a mentally & physically strong, capable human is more important than being good at sports.
If we overspend on sports and call physical preparation ‘too expensive’ are we playing the short or long game?
Where is the real ROI?”
-Ray Zingler on X
As a sports performance coach, it is my goal to help kids reach the pinnacle of their potential.
And I hope they take their sports as far as they can take them.
But I also know this to be true:
As valuable as sports can be, they have a finite window.
It may be in 1 year, 5 years, or 20 years, but eventually they will inevitably come to an end.
And unless you make it to the very top of 1 of the 4 major sporting organizations, the real world isn’t going to care how good you used to be at sports.
And neither is your health and wellness.
Your health and wellness, that after a sports career, is now even MORE important than it was during a sports career.
The reason is because while we’re playing sports we have a “mandated” accountability stimulus.
Practices, games, extra lessons you name it. In the modern world of athletics, there is no shortage of activity.
Is all the activity the best use of time and resources, absolutely not, but that is a topic for a different discussion.
What do you think happens when sports come to an end?
And that accountability stimulus is no more.
Do you think your health and wellness rewards you for who you used to be?
Of course not.
The accountability is now on YOU.
It’s exactly why those who played sport, even at the highest levels, hang up their jerseys and then often get (severely) out of shape.
If we know this to be true (if you don’t believe me, look outside at the average American) would it not be a better investment to invest in generalized training vs. an abundance of specialized training that only carries value for a (very) finite amount of time?
Not only do kids desperately need the generalized training now to positively influence their sport performance but look at the big picture.
Kids are products of their environments and the habits they regularly practice, right?
Getting them involved in a program with monumental, short term, long term, and unending compounding value potential is “too expensive” but the 6th sport lesson of the week that isn’t going to matter in 5 years is justifiable?
We have our priorities bass ackwards.
