Stop Just Playing the Sport. Train the Athlete.

Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes

I’m going to say something that some parents probably don’t want to hear.

Your kid probably doesn’t need another team.

They probably don’t need another tournament, another showcase, another league, or another weekend with six games crammed into 48 hours.

What they might need is time to actually become a better athlete.

Youth sports have become obsessed with playing the game. Middle school and high school athletes are playing school sports, club sports, AAU, travel, showcases and sometimes multiple sports during the same season.

Their schedules are packed.

But ask yourself a simple question:

Is your kid actually getting faster? Stronger? More explosive? More athletic?

Or are they just playing more?

Playing More Doesn't Fix Everything

If your kid struggles to accelerate, playing another 30 games isn't necessarily going to fix it.

If they're weak, another tournament isn't a strength program.

If they aren't explosive, another showcase isn't going to magically develop power.

If they struggle to decelerate, change direction or control their body, adding another team to the schedule doesn't address the problem.

Yes, athletes need to practice their sport.

Of course they do.

But there is a difference between developing the skills of the sport and developing the physical qualities of the athlete playing it.

We have become so concerned with getting kids more exposure that sometimes we forget to ask whether we've actually developed an athlete worth exposing.

That's harsh.

It's also worth thinking about.

"They Don't Have Time"

This is the answer I hear all the time.

Between school, practices, games, tournaments and multiple teams, there isn't time for performance training.

My response is pretty simple:

Maybe the problem isn't performance training. Maybe the problem is the schedule.

If a 14-year-old's athletic calendar is so full that there isn't room for two hours per week to intentionally work on their body, I'd question whether we've built the right schedule in the first place.

I'm not suggesting athletes need to live in the weight room.

They don't.

For most middle school and high school athletes, two intelligently programmed sessions per week can make a significant difference.

Two hours.

Strength.

Acceleration.

Max velocity.

Power.

Movement quality.

Deceleration.

Change of direction.

Those qualities transfer.

The jersey doesn't matter.

Stop Confusing Busy With Development

More isn't automatically better.

Being exhausted every Sunday night doesn't mean your athlete had a productive week.

A calendar filled with practices and games doesn't automatically mean they're developing.

And being on three teams doesn't automatically put them ahead of the kid who's on one.

Sometimes the kid doing less has the time and energy to actually train.

Parents should be asking better questions.

Is my athlete stronger than they were six months ago?

Are they faster?

Do they move better?

Can they produce more force?

Are they becoming more physically capable?

Can their body handle the amount of sport we're asking them to play?

If you can't answer those questions, another tournament probably isn't the solution.

Train the Athlete

At KBP, we aren't trying to take athletes away from their sport.

We're trying to build the physical foundation underneath it.

We can work around seasons. We can adjust training based on games. We can manage volume. We can push when appropriate and pull back when needed.

But we need the opportunity to actually train the athlete.

Your kid doesn't need to spend every available hour in our facility.

They need consistency.

Two quality sessions per week can accomplish a lot.

So before signing up for the next team, league, clinic, tournament or showcase, ask yourself:

Does my kid need to play more—or do they need to become a better athlete?

If you aren't sure, start there.

Schedule a Performance Assessment at Kyle Brown Performance. We'll show you where your athlete is today, where the gaps are, and what we believe they need next.

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