The question as to whether your child needs outside sports training is always a hot topic. Many parents are under the impression that their child does not need to lift weights, they do not have the time or do not want to invest the money into anything extra.
The counter argument is that if you choose the right training facility and system it can be the single greatest investment for your child. The primary concern is that most trainers and coaches want the next “big name” to brag about or how much they can increase your kids squat/bench press.
90% of the parents reading this now think that does not seem very compelling to spend potentially thousands of dollars extra per month unless you know that your son or daughter truly wants to play college or professional sports.
But there are a few of us underground coaches, no pun intended, that understand the true meaning of what sports training can do for your child…
And let’s go ahead and lay the cards on the table that the answers that follow are not based on guesswork or theory. We have put a team together to help you as parents understand why this can be the best investment in your child.
I also agree that the physical benefits are important, so I do not want to undermine the benefits your child receives physically from training.
With that said we will touch on two outside hidden benefits and 1 physical hidden benefit!
Let’s Dive In: Hidden Benefit #1
One of the scariest trends threatening the mental health and future success of today’s youth is the deterioration of meaningful relationships. Another way to say it is kids are lacking but craving connection.
It is clearly having devastating effects on their mental health and that deserves much of the attention but I will save the entire topic of mental health for it’s own blog.
As I mentioned kids are craving meaningful relationships and as the data shows they are turning to social media and other resources to feel connected…
Consider this for a minute: how often do you or someone you know do the following…
If you show up early to meet a friend or colleague either at the office or even a restaurant do you sit and wait in the lobby. What are the odds you pull out your phone to kill three or four minutes…
It would be “strange” to say hello to someone you don’t know in today’s world.
Or if someone gets up to use the restroom at a restaurant can you wait or do you kill two minutes on your phone?
We feel NAKED without our phones today and if someone is not around us it feels “odd” to be by ourselves so we turn to Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat to scroll through and feel connected.
Ponder that for a minute we almost refuse to say Hello to a stranger but we will write a dissertation on someone’s Instagram or Facebook post!
I wrote an entire separate blog on the idea that we have social media backwards…
We have heard the notion that kids are depressed because of increased social media use, and I do believe there is truth to that…
But I also believe there is a lot of truth to the idea that kids are struggling. Struggling with stress, anxiety and worry more than ever before so they turn to social media craving an outlet because of the depression!
So How Does This Fit In
Ok, Ryan we get it kids want to feel connected but how does that apply to sports training?
Decades ago kids were able to get those meaning face-to-face relationships from school and/or their school sports…
But it’s nearly impossible today!
It’s not the teachers or coaches fault, it’s due to the fact that they have more on their plates than ever before…
Teachers are underpaid and overworked. They have larger classrooms and are having to juggle more students than ever before. Guidance counselors are handling on average 500 students per school! Time and energy play a huge factor here.
The same goes for school coaches. Teams are getting larger, especially in sports like football. I know the high school I attended between freshman, JV and Varsity there were over 300 kids on the football team.
Then add on the pressure many of the coaches get from administrators and even the towns to WIN and WIN NOW! Their families, their jobs and their paychecks can depend on how their team performs and ultimately wins or loses.
As much as they LOVE their players and want to be involved in their lives. Billy getting dumped by Susie in the lunchroom yesterday probably does not crack top 10 on the priority list for them as the coach.
If you find the right sports training facility they can provide you and your child with that positive and meaningful relationship and connection!
Kids want someone they can feel safe enough to make themselves vulnerable around. It’s a HUGE reason why we have dedicated our facility as a mentorship program than anything else.
They want someone to guide and advise them on areas outside of sports like school, stress, anxiety, worry, bullying, asking someone out, partying and a million other topics…
While I know your kids LOVE YOU 98% of them do not feel comfortable enough to have most of those conversations with their parents. And definitely not coaches because they do not want to be judged or lose playing time. They fear other kids finding out about them…
Again, make sure to do your homework and ask all the right questions before signing your kids up at a sports training facility to ensure they receive that connection and meaningful relationships!
Mentorship is the single greatest investment in your child’s life!
Find the right spot and it’s worth every penny. It could literally save your child’s life. I have witnessed it!
Next Up: Hidden Benefit #2
Let’s toss in one of the physical benefits and that is Accelerated Performance!
When you find the right athletic training facility with the right system it will boost your child’s performance quickly! Expert trainers know and understand that each individual has their own needs. It’s figuring out what those imbalances are for your athlete and creating a program that supports them.
Now with that being said, I wanted to toss in performance because many parents only think it applies to major sports like football, basketball or baseball…
Yet the furthest thing can be from the truth. I have spent nearly the last decade looking for patterns of the highest athletic performers and strength training programs are involved in nearly every single one!
Take a second to consider…
Tiger Woods revolutionized the game of golf for many reasons but one that stands out easy to the eye is how early on he incorporated strength training into his routine…
People were blown away at how far he was driving the ball and after a couple years it became the norm for golfers to strength train in an attempt to keep up with Tiger.
Or how about Michael Jordan. If you have seen the serious “The Last Dance”. You know that to get over the hump of winning a championship he needed to really ramp up his Strength and Conditioning Program…
He even had someone, Tim Grover, around him at all times to train!
Or just take a look at almost every sport in Division I athletics…
Most all of them have a strength and conditioning program to elevate their performance. Many even have their own designated strength coach for their sport.
Success leaves footprints. Just do what the highest level performers are doing and insert the right training program for your child.
Each training facility has their own style and philosophy and make sure it’s the right fit for your child!
Hidden Benefit #3
Get ready parents, this one might be your favorite…Improved Academics!
Yup! You read that right it is shown that kids involved in sports training experience higher levels of success in the classroom.
I also believe that this one ties back into number one above in having the right mentor in your child’s life. Someone that can be the outside voice to preach…
“How you do anything, is how you do everything”
Because how they focus and pay attention to details in the classroom has a direct correlation to how they focus and pay attention to details within their sports. And as a little side note one of the things we continue to preach within our own facility is if you want to go to college…
Use your academics to get school paid for. Far too many coaches and athletes preach about the athletic scholarships…
Academic scholarships have become a lost art and can be a simple way to get school paid for with a little focus, time and energy.
But to back this up The National Center for Education Statistics did a study of high school athlete 8 years after their senior year and found that compared to non-athletes they experienced:
- Improved academic achievement
- Higher Test Scores
- High Income
- Fewer incidents of mental health problems
I know for me personally I tended to have improved grades while in-season training harder because I think it gave me some more structure.
Tying It All Together
There is a laundry list of reasons why it’s important both physically and mentally to have your child in an outside sports training program. But I believe you are starting to grasp the idea of why it can change your child’s life outside of their sport.
We all need that outside voice and I know as parents you have scratched your head a million times as to why they won’t listen to you…
But we were all in their shoes at one point too…
When our parents are not cool and never know what they are talking about!
Fortunately for me early on I had outside coaches that played a pivotal role in my life. Even a mentor in high school that ate dinner with us on a regular basis…
I had more in college going through the ups and downs of being a Division I athlete…
Do not snub your nose up at what the right sports training or athlete training program can do for your child!
Ask the right questions and decide the best fit for your kids!
Again it could save their lives…
It saved mine!
These kids deserve it!