Let Kids be Kids!

On a weekend with a multitude of sports stories of varied interest, there was one story that made me look twice to be sure that what I was reading was for real. It wasn’t anything surrounding the NBA All-Star weekend, even though Kryptonite (5’ 9” - Nate Robinson) defeating Superman (6’ 11” Dwight Howard) in the dunk contest was pretty entertaining. It wasn't about MLB, spring training, performance enhancing drugs and A-Rod. It wasn’t anything surrounding the two major sporting events affected by the weather, the Daytona 500 and the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. It wasn’t even anything surrounding some of the most exciting sporting events to watch at this time of year, NCAA college basketball. It was about a 12-year old football prospect. That’s right! A 12-year old, NCAA Division I football quarterback prospect.

My first reaction was, “Come on . . . a 12-year old that could be the next Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger?” How could any scout figure that out? The kid’s voice probably hasn’t even changed yet.

My next reaction was, “What are college coaches or NFL football scouts doing checking out a 12-year old? Certainly they’ve crossed the line in trying to find the next future star athlete. Can’t kids just be kids anymore?

As I read the article further, my final reaction was, “What are the parents doing marketing a 12-year old? Are times so tough that the best investment a parent can make for their children’s future education is in sending them to specialized coaches and elite camps? Is the best way to invest for a child’s college education through pushing, packaging, promoting and marketing them to secure an athletic scholarship?

In my opinion kids are growing up too fast these days. The push to be too specialized in a specific sport, too soon, creates situations that can result in burnout. The kids barely have a chance to be kids. I recently saw a video of five-star basketball recruit Elena Delle Donne who, after signing with the University of Connecticut, stayed on campus less than two days before returning home. She said she was sick and tired of hoops and has been doubting (since the time she was 13 years old) whether she really wanted to keep playing. Her parents seemed stunned to find this out. While Elena has tremendous talent for basketball, it seemed like she never really even had a chance to choose what activities interested her most.

Both of these stories ought to raise concerns in parents about pushing their kids too aggressively. Parents, let the kids have fun and don’t try to re-live your lives through them. Coaches, keep things in perspective and don’t make them only work at the specific sport you coach. Help children develop a balanced life and let them pursue things that interest them. There will be a time to “narrow the focus down” and “pursue a specific passion”, but not when they are 10 – 12 years old. Let’s get back to letting kids be kids.

Read more about 12-year old, David Sills here.

Watch the video of Elena Delle Donne and "burnout"