The sad reality of 90% of youth sports is that the kids who are already the best usually get the most reps. Go watch rec baseball. They put the best kid on the mound, then they put the second-best kid at first base, (typically one of them just so happens to be the coach's kid), which are the two spots that are going to get all the action. So the kids who are already the best are also the ones getting all the reps. The kids who struggle get stuck in the outfield where, no exaggeration, they might see one ball an entire season, because most kids aren’t strong enough to hit it out there. And then later on everyone acts confused about why those kids don’t develop a passion for sports.

Dear Parents: Please understand that your athletes coaches are not miracle workers. Sure, some may be better at what they do than others but in the end it will come down to an athletes innate ability (what they were born with), their love for the game, their level of focus, their aptitude (ability to apply what they are learning), their level of mental toughness, how much work they put in on their own time and their personal desire to just get better. Teach your athlete responsibility and accountability. To never rely on others to help them get better. To be a student of the game. To seek out those with more experience and pick their brains and to look for ways to get better everyday.

You know how when you were a kid you’d watch a pro athlete do a sick move and be like “I could do that shit” and then go outside and practice it until you got it? You should still do that

Sad to say, but most unsuccessful people simply don't deserve success. When I was younger, I used to think people get arrogant when they achieve things in life, but the reality is it just happens that they see what it takes to make it, and they see that most people aren't willing to do shit to get the things they say they want. For most unlucky people chose to be unlucky and thus deserve their misery.

Often when a parent is over-bearing in sports, (and in life), it's because they are protecting their OWN fragility... They can't stand watching little Johnny struggle, and in turn jump in at every opportunity. And of course, this leads to little Johnny missing out on all the key moments to develop grit, ownership, and perseverance. Mommy and Daddy snatched it away the second things got "iffy"

Fix what’s happening with recreational soccer in America, and you change the trajectory of the sport. Nearly every club in the US has a recreational program, and in many cases, it has the largest number of participants. Yet these programs are often coached by volunteer parents rather than qualified, paid coaches. That tells you how the system values this stage of development. Too often, Rec is treated as a waiting room before players are old enough to enter the “real” development pathway. The problem starts with a fundamental belief that young children are too young to develop meaningful technical skills, so the priority becomes simply letting them “play and have fun.” But these early years are exactly when technical foundations can be built. If we want to change this trajectory, we need to start where soccer starts: at home. A Soccer Starts at Home approach means educating and inspiring parents to become part of their child’s soccer development, not by becoming coaches, but by creating opportunities to play, experiment, practice and enjoy the ball together. Then we can transform Rec soccer from a holding place into the foundation of American soccer development. Change the foundation, and you change the trajectory.

The ruining of recreational sports is a significant issue in our current child mental health crisis. Kids need developmental spaces where parental driven competition isn’t front and center. We traded true development for profits…

“The more relaxed the muscles are, the more energy can flow through the body.” -Bruce Lee Masterclass by HOF Mike Schmidt “You don’t have to swing hard to hit far!”