What would youth sports be like if…
- Pro athletes were paid like middle class workers?
- Television used its attention grabbing power and influence to glorify teachers, youth pastors, and social workers for the work they do?
- Dads, the leaders of households, did not get so worked up and emotionally invested in the outcome of an NFL game (or youth game for that matter)?
What would youth sports be like if…
- Scholarships were a thing reserved only for those in true financial need?
- College coaches were paid more based on how the contribution their players made to society and their families 5+ years after graduating?
- Parents stopped posting about their child committing to a college for sports altogether (which would mean that child would not recognize that that single post got more likes and comments than any post that parent ever made)?
What would youth sports be like if it was no longer a normal thing to get out of school early to go to a game?
What if Sunday’s were reserved for family and church, and there was a legal mandate that no organized sports could happen? (in New Jersey where my wife’s family is from, shopping malls are closed on Sunday’s. It’s a pretty awesome statement in my opinion. Heck, if Chick-Fil-A can be uber successful…maybe our kids would thrive and perform even better if they were free to recharge on Sunday’s…🤔)
Anyway, this is just us dreaming. We are not totally sure what would happen if those things occurred, but we are convinced of the following:
- Kids would be healthier mentally and physically
- Kids would stop being motivated to do well in sports for the wrong reasons
- Kids would have fuller buckets in the other important “lanes of life” opposed to just the “academic and sports” buckets
- The family unit would be stronger, more connected
- Stress and anxiety around youth sports would lessen
And while you may have trouble believing this one…
6. Kids and teams WOULD absolutely, with no questions asked, perform at an exponentially higher level, consistently. They would do so without burning out because they would be fresh, playing freely and passionately, opposed to playing reluctantly out of a desire to be better liked and accepted by family, coaches, and friends. When we are free from the fear of not being accepted, of missing out, or of falling behind, we just do better.
How do you influence this as a parent? As a coach, it is obvious- you control the schedule, you control what you recognize and reward, and you control what you bring energy to and what you get emotional about…these things shape your players value system in unbelievably powerful ways.
But as a parent it is tricky…there are some proven things you can do, but you rarely them happen (when you do, there is a much higher likelihood you see a healthy, happy, high performing kid as a result). We will talk about that tomorrow!
Dedicated to your child’s health, happiness, and success,
Coach Andrew and the PFP Team
