ESPN Articles on the Impact of Youth Basketball

[vandalzag]

Good read. Food for thought on specialization of sports and the impact on athletes. Applies to all sports but makes you think of the longevity or potential lack of for these players.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27125793/these-kids-ticking-bombs-threat-youth-basketball

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27148543/under-knife-exposing-america-youth-basketball-crisis

[Reborn]

A very good article. The article really focuses on the physical problems that young adolescents have from overuse syndrome. But what about the overall psychological stress from overuse syndrome and the effect it has on their personalities. Adolescents need time away from athletics to do some healthy living like going up to the mountains for a weekend or for a week. Or to go to a summer camp which has nothing to do with the sports they play. Just a normal camp with normal kids. I think that every athlete should have friends who are not athletes; kids who just do normal things like go to a movie together, or go to a pajama party with normal kids who talk about normal things. Go swimming together, or lay on the beach. Go hiking and explore caves in those mountains you hike. An athlete needs to get more than just his or her body out of the sports for a period of time, but also needs to get his/her mind off of sports too. Develop a whole personality so you can relate to a lot more than just sports. And when it comes to reading, read other books than books about sports. Read other magazines other than Sports Illustrated.

Go Zags!!!

[bballbeachbum]

Excellent report. The coaching group where I live has been discussing these things for some time, and this article is sooooooo on point, and we've been talking about it for a couple of weeks now.

Here's another good source for info on female athletes, a book called Warrior Girls.

My take is all the snow plow parents overworking their kids to get 'ahead' for schollies and other things, and the incredible market that has been created of personal coaches to work with kids. Funny thing is at the same time there is this article on espn about overworking kids, espn also has a feature about one of these personal kick-your-butt-into-shape guys, too.

The industries that have these kid athletes as their product and grind on them, you know, the travel comp leagues in various sports, used to be somewhat checked and balanced by parents looking out for their kids physical safety, but now they are enabled to be crazy workout warriors with kids by the parents, the snow plow parents. Insane, my opinion

Rise of the Snow Plow Parents there's also a good NYTimes article on this

[webspinnre]

Excellent report. The coaching group where I live has been discussing these things for some time, and this article is sooooooo on point, and we've been talking about it for a couple of weeks now.

Here's another good source for info on female athletes, a book called Warrior Girls.

My take is all the snow plow parents overworking their kids to get 'ahead' for schollies and other things, and the incredible market that has been created of personal coaches to work with kids. Funny thing is at the same time there is this article on espn about overworking kids, espn also has a feature about one of these personal kick-your-butt-into-shape guys, too.

The industries that have these kid athletes as their product and grind on them, you know, the travel comp leagues in various sports, used to be somewhat checked and balanced by parents looking out for their kids physical safety, but now they are enabled to be crazy workout warriors with kids by the parents, the snow plow parents. Insane, my opinion

Rise of the Snow Plow Parents there's also a good NYTimes article on this

For sure. It's a major issue, and female athletes in particular seem to struggle with knee injuries, with studies varying, but the numbers suggest that on a frequency basis, it's at least double the rate suffered by male athletes, perhaps as high as 6-10x the rate.

[ZagNative]

Wow, Reborn. Great thoughtful post!

A very good article. The article really focuses on the physical problems that young adolescents have from overuse syndrome. But what about the overall psychological stress from overuse syndrome and the effect it has on their personalities. Adolescents need time away from athletics to do some healthy living like going up to the mountains for a weekend or for a week. Or to go to a summer camp which has nothing to do with the sports they play. Just a normal camp with normal kids. I think that every athlete should have friends who are not athletes; kids who just do normal things like go to a movie together, or go to a pajama party with normal kids who talk about normal things. Go swimming together, or lay on the beach. Go hiking and explore caves in those mountains you hike. An athlete needs to get more than just his or her body out of the sports for a period of time, but also needs to get his/her mind off of sports too. Develop a whole personality so you can relate to a lot more than just sports. And when it comes to reading, read other books than books about sports. Read other magazines other than Sports Illustrated.

Go Zags!!!

[Zagceo]

All kids should be required to take Yoga classes.

one of the reasons Tom Brady’s lasted as long as he has in brutal NFL imo

more flexibility better chance to withstand over stressed body.

[vandalzag]

It is tough these days. If your kid is good at a sport they have to specialize at very young age. There are exceptions but those are reserved for the elite athletes that get a kitchen pass. Basketball and Soccer are the two biggest abusers. School and club seasons run concurrently and there is little or no option for the kids to rest. As the article states, it is all about the money. You either buy in or your child loses the opportunity and you are fed a bunch of BS about college scholarships, etc...

[Vanzagger]

Super post reborn

I believe John Smoltz is a huge advocate for athletes getting a balance. It feels like he used his HOF week to tell parents and coaches to slow their kids down and participate in multiple activities...ignore the radar gun

[Reborn]

I believe Gonzaga athletes have a good balance of sport and reality. I've always thought it was great how they do things with the kids in Spokane. The thing about Gonzaga University is that it's small enough where every athlete feels like he's in a family. At least it was like that when I went there. I was an athlete at GU and had many friends who were not athletes and even some who didn't go to games. And there were students from all over the USA so I was able to get a terrific dose of reality believe me. I believe it's still like that in many ways. This is another reason for high school senior athletes to really consider going to Gonzaga.

I have had two sons and three grandchildren who are athletes. I am happy to say that they are very balanced people. And two of my grandkids are very good athletes. One plays football at Idaho St U. He'll be a Junior. My grand daughter is a senior in high school and she already has a number of scholarships to play either volleyball or tennis in college. However, she is not even sure if she'll play sports in college because she's afraid if she does she'll have to devote her whole life to that sport (which ever one she chooses). I understand her fear, and am trying to convince her that maybe she doesn't have to give up everything to be a college athlete today. This article I just read is hopeful, and I think I'll have her and her dad read it.

[Reborn]

Wow, Reborn. Great thoughtful post!

I can still put one out once in awhile. hahahahaha

[TexasZagFan]

I can still put one out once in awhile. hahahahaha

Great post, bornie. I do take a small exception to the subject of reading. Outside of school, I read only sports related material until I picked up Lord of the Rings at 16. My parents were fine with that, they were happy that I was reading. OTOH, in 6th grade, we all read The Count of Monte Cristo. The vast majority of us tested at the 12th grade reading level, way back when CA public schools were the best in the nation.

It’s a real struggle nowadays getting kids to put down their damn cell phones. Striking a balance is tough, no doubt. Our vacation was fantastic in that regard: 16 days, 17 states, 5230 miles driven. Dillon was able to run the bases at Fenway, Nate and I tossed pennies on Benjamin Franklin’s grave, and we made a trip to Arlington to visit my Dad’s grave. Many other stops along the way, a very fun (but exhausting) trip.

We’re heading to the state fish hatchery on Friday, if only to get the boys away from Madden for several hours.

[zaguarxj]

It is tough these days. If your kid is good at a sport they have to specialize at very young age. There are exceptions but those are reserved for the elite athletes that get a kitchen pass. Basketball and Soccer are the two biggest abusers. School and club seasons run concurrently and there is little or no option for the kids to rest. As the article states, it is all about the money. You either buy in or your child loses the opportunity and you are fed a bunch of BS about college scholarships, etc...

Youth sports is a pyramid scheme. All the parents pay the same but very few get any financial payback in the form of scholarships. But people are bad at math and hope springs eternal.

[webspinnre]

Great post, bornie. I do take a small exception to the subject of reading. Outside of school, I read only sports related material until I picked up Lord of the Rings at 16. My parents were fine with that, they were happy that I was reading. OTOH, in 6th grade, we all read The Count of Monte Cristo. The vast majority of us tested at the 12th grade reading level, way back when CA public schools were the best in the nation.

It’s a real struggle nowadays getting kids to put down their damn cell phones. Striking a balance is tough, no doubt. Our vacation was fantastic in that regard: 16 days, 17 states, 5230 miles driven. Dillon was able to run the bases at Fenway, Nate and I tossed pennies on Benjamin Franklin’s grave, and we made a trip to Arlington to visit my Dad’s grave. Many other stops along the way, a very fun (but exhausting) trip.

We’re heading to the state fish hatchery on Friday, if only to get the boys away from Madden for several hours.

I've always enjoyed fish hatcheries. I don't know about down there, but growing up in Alaska, that was one of the most common places to fish, when salmon were returning to the hatchery.

[webspinnre]

Youth sports is a pyramid scheme. All the parents pay the same but very few get any financial payback in the form of scholarships. But people are bad at math and hope springs eternal.

You know, I don't think I've ever thought it all the way through to this logical conclusion, but I can't disagree.

[bballbeachbum]

Youth sports is a pyramid scheme. All the parents pay the same but very few get any financial payback in the form of scholarships. But people are bad at math and hope springs eternal.

actually, they don't all pay the same, especially if they employ personal trainers outside the club/school environment, and different clubs charge different fees once you get outside of the rec environment. BUT the parents who pay the bigger fees to have their kids on the bigger clubs, and who pay for the personal trainers, do expect a payoff in the form of schollies, etc. I've experienced innumerable parents literally sitting there and discussing these things during practice, openly discussing ROI for the time and money they spend on their kids at these bigger clubs and with the personal trainers. Having been part of many different sized clubs and schools in different sports as both a parent and coach, it's real and imo it's destructive instead of productive. And one can see which kids are there becasue they love it and choose it, vs. those who are there more from their parents push. By around 13 or 14, the parents can't push them anymore and many simply quit, maybe a better outcome than a smashed up body for something they don't love.

Plus they make these kids play too many games, too many tournaments. Pickup games and playground stuff, it's not the same intensity, it's not the same stakes, the wear and tear is different. You can always stop playing, etc.

US Soccer literally says in their player guidelines that after any game, 72 hours is required for full recovery, but then tournaments around the country promise 3 games a weekend, and then a fourth if you qualify for the final. Hypocrisy? Yes, driven by money, and there is NO push from anyone to change this.

So, my teams do not play tournaments for this reason, because it's BS, straight up money maker for sooooooo many involved, and these kids are the product, and their well being is not considered.