We Are Destroying America’s Youth Athletes (Updated)

We Are Destroying America’s Youth Athletes (Updated)

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Growing up, playing sports were some of my favorite memories.  I had the most fun,  made my most growth, and made some of my best friends playing sports.  Playing sports itself, is an inherently pure thing…After all, it’s just a game. 

As of 2018, only 38% of kids 6-12 are participating in youth sports, which is down from 45% in 2008. That decline is staggering. Many kids are now missing out on what should be, some of their best life experiences.

We clearly have a problem, and the kids are not to blame. As adults, we’ve somehow screwed this up. We are systematically destroying America’s young talented athletes.  And here’s how we’re doing it. 

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Breaking Down the Myths of Youth Strength Training

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Is my child too young to strength train?”..this is a question that every performance coach has heard at one point in time.  It’s a question that comes up often. Although I’m not a parent myself, I understand where the concern comes from.  

However, concerns about damaging growth plates, “throwing off your shot” are often inaccurate.  Today I want to demystify some of these concerns and myths, and help set the record straight…It’s time to let your kids be strong folks!!

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Exercise Upgrade: Changing How You View These 4 Common Exercises

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Out w/ the old, and in with the new…Today’s post is a remix on some common gym exercises.   These exercises are all ones that you see just about any time you walk into a gym.  Some of you have probably been doing these same exercise since your 9th grade middle school PE teacher taught them to you. The problem is, as we’ve gained a better understanding about training, these exercises have become ineffective and outdated. My goal today is to show you alternative, and more effective versions of each of these exercises. 

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Warming Up: How to Do it Like an Elite Athlete, Part 1

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I’ve gotten a few people asking me lately about what I like to do and what I have my athletes do for a warmup before they train.  So I decided it would be a good idea to share that with you.  If you have ever trained w/ me before, you know how much emphasis I put on our warmup.  When people ask me why we should warm up, the analogy I usually use is:

“Well, you wouldn’t just start your car, floor it, and speed out the driveway right?”

Even though some of you crazy Arizona drivers may have answered yes to that question, you get the point.  A comprehensive and progressive warmup routine is crucial….here’s part 1 of mine. 

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