Parents of young athletes: You're being sold a bill of goods… Early specialization… It's a fear campaign… Its a billion dollar dumpster fire saying: To become a great athlete you must: Specialize early… Train year-round… Compete often… If you don’t your child is going to miss out and fall behind And for the most part:  It’s complete bullshit… What it really is: Early Development of sport-specific skills Early success in sport Little to no development of fundamental movement skills Poor performances later in the sport Higher chance of injury Higher Chance of Burnout from Sport Early start…Early finish! It's a complete lack of understanding of how humans develop… During the first 14 years of Life: Be a human first:  Do plenty of activities that involve: Rolling Crawling Climbing Reaching Bending Rotating Standing (1 foot) Changing levels: Be an athlete second: Sprint Jump Hop Climb Wrestle swim/bike/ski catch/kick/throw/trap Etc Sprinkle in lots of activities and multiple sports!  I can't guarantee a Div 1 scholarship but I can say that kids will be more Coordinated, stronger, more flexible, cardiovascularly fit, more resistant to fatigue and injury, and also be calmer, less stressed, leaner, and able to learn new skills. Skills like complex sports specific skills. #LTAD