From reader and coach Phil Campbell: (Thanks Phil)
Great article Greg!!! Love this: “The reality is, up to 15 years old there is no “elite”. All kids are learning, and they learn and grow at different rates, so some will stand out more at an early age while others catch up.” There are “elite prices” for parents with resources. Also love this: “Our 9 year-olds don’t need to stack up against the best 9 year-olds 3-5 hours away every weekend in order to have fun, develop and learn.”
I could argue, if they are that good at age 9 and need to compete in best-on-best competitions, they matured quickly and the great majority will be caught and passed by kids maturing normally. At age 9, they need to be kids as you have written over and over! They need to play and have fun while learning how to get along with others in a workgroup setting as preparation for life, but and they do not need to be compared in a best-vs-best system.
I’ve had a few baseball athletes coming for two-session speed technique training express similar opinions. I’ve asked, “Are you excited about playing baseball in college?” The response from several high school seniors is, “I don’t really want to play in college. I’m just burnt out on all the travel.” Not every athlete feels this way, but when you hear this message from several baseball athletes who have the credentials of size, speed and skills to continue paying after high school, it raises the question, what’s happening in baseball to cause this?
Baseball athletes have to know the game early -- too early in my opinion. Baseball is similar to the decathlon in track and field as baseball athletes have to be great at several different sport movements. They have to be great at catching, throwing, batting, and be showcase fast. Each discipline requires a different set of high-level skills, which comes from proper technique and practice. Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours” theory applied means thousands of reps in each athletic movement. Baseball is Malcom Gladwell X 4.
How is this going to be resolved? I don’t know. The solutions aren’t easy. I’ve thought about this issue for years and still come up with no answers. All I can do is my part. I work with athletes twice, only twice, to teach them optimal speed technique. I give them my book on why it’s important to practice with optimal technique so when they are at practice or at the performance center, they will get a positive neuroplastic adaptation to their training by using consistent optimal technique.
While I’ve seen a few highly skilled baseball athletes drop out of the sport, I sure do love it when I get follow-up email that an athlete has signed with an university and playing the sport they love. - Phil
From reader and coach Phil Campbell: (Thanks Phil)
Great article Greg!!! Love this: “The reality is, up to 15 years old there is no “elite”. All kids are learning, and they learn and grow at different rates, so some will stand out more at an early age while others catch up.” There are “elite prices” for parents with resources. Also love this: “Our 9 year-olds don’t need to stack up against the best 9 year-olds 3-5 hours away every weekend in order to have fun, develop and learn.”
I could argue, if they are that good at age 9 and need to compete in best-on-best competitions, they matured quickly and the great majority will be caught and passed by kids maturing normally. At age 9, they need to be kids as you have written over and over! They need to play and have fun while learning how to get along with others in a workgroup setting as preparation for life, but and they do not need to be compared in a best-vs-best system.
I’ve had a few baseball athletes coming for two-session speed technique training express similar opinions. I’ve asked, “Are you excited about playing baseball in college?” The response from several high school seniors is, “I don’t really want to play in college. I’m just burnt out on all the travel.” Not every athlete feels this way, but when you hear this message from several baseball athletes who have the credentials of size, speed and skills to continue paying after high school, it raises the question, what’s happening in baseball to cause this?
Baseball athletes have to know the game early -- too early in my opinion. Baseball is similar to the decathlon in track and field as baseball athletes have to be great at several different sport movements. They have to be great at catching, throwing, batting, and be showcase fast. Each discipline requires a different set of high-level skills, which comes from proper technique and practice. Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000 hours” theory applied means thousands of reps in each athletic movement. Baseball is Malcom Gladwell X 4.
How is this going to be resolved? I don’t know. The solutions aren’t easy. I’ve thought about this issue for years and still come up with no answers. All I can do is my part. I work with athletes twice, only twice, to teach them optimal speed technique. I give them my book on why it’s important to practice with optimal technique so when they are at practice or at the performance center, they will get a positive neuroplastic adaptation to their training by using consistent optimal technique.
While I’ve seen a few highly skilled baseball athletes drop out of the sport, I sure do love it when I get follow-up email that an athlete has signed with an university and playing the sport they love. - Phil