Parents, we’re listening
A few weeks back, I sat down to dinner and some business with two coaches who I respect dearly in the space of Athlete Development. Both of these coaches have coached at the highest levels, and played too. Their educational pedigree includes master’s degree’s in coaching, leadership and high performance. They both have a love of sport, but more importantly, a love for the next generation of young athletes, of all levels.
After the meeting, I went home and thought a lot about what we discussed and how we can offer more support to parents. As a strength and conditioning coach, I have been working in sport for over 27 years now and have had so many insightful conversations with parents and have enjoyed helping them navigate their son or daughter’s journey in sport, no matter the level (I need THAT to be very clear - you will never hear me say the term Elite in the same sentence as Youth). There have been many success stories and no path is the same. I try my best to educate and empower both parents and their youth so they can feel autonomous in their decisions and do what is optimal in their unique situation.
However, in my small world, I can only see so many youth and talk to so many parents, so myself and my two colleagues thought it might be a great idea to start offering LIVE Q&A / discussions that parents could attend and have a place that is outside of their current bubble to ask questions and share stories…
This is coming.
First, I spent some time listening. I conducted a short survey asking 3 key questions and decided to turn the answers into a blog post for other parents to read so they know they are not alone in this wild world of sport.
Below are the questions I asked and the answers parents gave me. Names will not be shared as this survey was meant to be anonymous. From here, myself and my colleagues will build out support that is grounded in the science of physical education & coaching which embodies the mind, body and spirit. Parents, with more knowledge comes more informed decisions for your child. How does that sound to you?
Parents: What are the most frustrating and confusing aspects of being a sport parent?
“The pressure and push to do club sports at an early age. It seems like the only way to have your child even have a chance at a college athletic career is only through the club system and early specialization. Also, the cost of sports is frustrating and the toxicity amongst other sport-parents.”
“How much is too much or too little, at what age, and when do you put focus on developing in a single sport?”
“Coaching makes such a difference for a kid's athletic development. It is very frustrating when one of my kids has a weak coach, or one whose coaching style doesn't bring out the best in my child. I know it's a hard job, and most of the time the coaches are volunteers, but it's discouraging to see your child wither in their sport because their coach doesn't encourage, instruct or motivate my child well.”
“Cost and not enough free play (too structured).”
Summary: Club sport system forcing year round participation, ineffective coaching and cost to participate is frustrating.
Parents: What areas of youth sport development would you like to learn most about?
“How to cross train effectively across different sports. And at what age, if any, is it ideal to really focus in on one sport?”
“Appropriate training loads and learning movement skills.”
“How long to participate in multi-sport vs focus on one.”
“What time do you start introducing weight and strength training?”
“I would like to know more about how physical development and sport skill development work together.”
“The benefits and comparisons between: Multi-sport programs, unstructured vs structured play.”
Summary: When to specialize in one sport, what is an appropriate amount of training, how to integrate physical development with sport specific development.
Parents: If you could gain free consult with the brains of the most well respected sport coaches and physical development specialists in the world what would you ask them?
“How do I know if my kid has a chance?”
“What's the ideal path to a college sports career?”
“How do we maintain a well-rounded balanced lifestyle while also seriously pursuing a sport?”
“How do I keep their minds and bodies healthy as they enter the world of competitive sports?”
“How important are games and teams vs actual individual skill practice, and does that change as they get older, at what point?”
“If you could focus on one thing for young athletes what would you say is the most important?”
“What is the most overlooked thing about youth and sport?”
“What is the most important aspect of sport for a young athlete to focus on?”
“How can I support my children to reach their maximum potential in their athletics?”
“How can I help my kids have fun with training and at the same get excited with the results they are gaining?”
“Why is sport so expensive?”
“Why do we overly structure programming for kids?”
“When should kids truly start lifting weights, speed training, agility, etc?”
“Compared to S&C, is it more beneficial for children to learn about their bodies through free play: riding bikes, running/tag games, swimming, various sports, climbing trees, time at the playground etc?”
“What is the value in diversification?”
“How does one go about healthy strength training for injury prevention?”
“How do I as a parent know how much to push or not push... outside of practice time?”
“How much sleep do youth require?”
“How do we decide between competitive and recreational opportunities? I'm worried the rep team will burn out my child, but that they also will not be challenged if they play recreationally?”
Summary: When to specialize in one sport, what is an appropriate amount of training, what is the ideal path?
See how so many parents ask the same questions and are in the dark about the same things?
This is where myself and my network will come in. Our goal is to shed light in the area of sport development for the young athlete.
Sport, in of itself, should be an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience, no matter the level of competition.
Parents, armed with knowledge are in the best position to assist their kids and make decisions that are optimal for them, at their stage.
We hope this is something that adds value.
And we will let you know soon, when our first Q&A session is.
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