Specialization in sports; Stop the madness!

Remember the days when children would just go out and play by themselves and they learned to play by watching others and through trial and error?  Gone are the days when kids played different sports all year round.

How do we better prepare this generation of children and athletes to be successful and enjoy sports to the max? 

You here it all the time from college coaches. 

" We want athletes! What does that mean?

Here's a quick checklist to see if you or your child is on the right path:

Walking is the skill of first impression. 

Head up, shoulders back and have a little bounce in your step ( instead of heavy Frankenstein feet) is the beginning of proper running form. No matter what sport or activity you play, posture and body language are crucial.  

Run Forest Run.

Forrest Gump had it right when he made running his daily activity! Sprints, distance or a combo, make running a part of your weekly activity. No matter the sport, aerobic and aerobic conditioning will help. 

Just play. 

 Volleyball,fishing, darts, frisbee, ping pong cross fit, tag, bike riding,anything that requires some degree of physical activity and a level of competition 

is a step toward being a better overall athlete. 

 Lift your body.

Start weight lifting at the age of 9!  That's right.

Push-ups,pull-ups, sit-ups, air squats, sprints( the ultimate weight lifting activity) should start young. You will be suprised how "jacked" you can become by just using your body weight and the ground to build a strong and high performance body. 

Eat to live, don't live to eat. 

Choices, disclipline and common sense. 

End of the nutrition advice.  Teenage obesity in the U.S has reached epidemic levels. It starts with a high sugar, high fat, low activity, video playing childhood.  If you have any desire to be called or look like an athlete, smarter food choices need to start today.  

Participate with a childlike love of the game and the focus level of a warrior. 

The best athletes at every level move like a butterfly and know when to sting like a bee!

As Mohammad Ali also said many times," I am the greatest".  Athletes at every age should also have that inner voice that tells them and pleads with them to truly believe they are the greatest. 

Be an athlete all your life and you will never have to stop playing sports!