97%

97% of the 2010 Olympic athletes were multi sport athletes. In the 2013 NFC and AFC championship games ALL 4 quarterbacks played baseball in high school. Three were drafted by MLB. The other played Legion ball. Their names: Peyton Manning, Colin Kaspernick, Tom Brady, and Russell Wilson. The #1 prospect in ALL of baseball Byron Buxton played three sports in high school and played varsity football for 4 years in high school. 41 of 47 FULL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP RECRUITS by national champion "THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY" played multiple sports in high school

  I am not saying to beat yourself up or to feel that you need to defend yourself. We are not a gotcha company. What I am saying is that now that you have experienced this, tell your children, that there is a different way so they don’t repeat this with their kids, or coach their kids this way. They will understand. They know you are human. When you admit to mistakes, they actually trust you more. Ours did. They do love you.

 I am speaking in Vegas end of month to Pediatric Orthopeadic Surgeons of North America (POSNA). $1.25 BILLION spent last year on overuse injuries and 40% of that on children under 14. We are making a difference, but each time a parent says the way they did it was right but others are messing it up it just creates more entitlement. I have yet to hear of a 20 year reunion of a modified basketball team. If the coach says you have to do this to play for him do you really want your child in that entitled environment. It’s not competition, remember that. I have worked with, mentored, and coached over 5000 kids and I will tell you the great multi sport athlete, the ONLY ones who are going to get full ride athletic scholarships, do not have to follow those rules and they don’t. It’s mostly the ones that will never have a real chance, and are trying to buy their way into talent. If you looked at spending this amount money on say an investment portfolio, no broker would tell you to take this risk. No teacher would tell you they taught their students this way. It’s a race that doesn’t exist, and should be treated as such. The pts per game per season against other kids whose parents can afford to pay doesn’t necessarily mean talent. It’s just another way to entice. In some cases there is a separation for those who are invited and don’t have to pay. This happens in ALL sports. But what is missed, is that the balance needed in life, and the coping mechanisms learned by playing multiple sports are lost. The child, and they are children, lose out on being with different adults, different skills for different activities and the specialization hinders the Childs all around development. As a head coach in college hockey I can tell you 80% of our job is recruiting and we love our jobs. If you are good enough we will find you. 85% of ALL kids who go to college go within a 3 hour drive. Having a recruiting service or an aau pedigree only increases their external value forced on a child which is not what they need for life. Many parents quoted statistics to me over the years. What we care about as college coaches is how you made your teammates better. How did you fare against the top competition? How did you treat your parents and friends, especially the lesser talented ones? How were your grades in school? You pay money, and therefore you want something in return. that is adulting kids. most parents don’t. Everyone else is the problem. I understand rationalization and the emotion of parenting, guilt, and doing the right thing. I for one drank the kool aid with my son. I hear from more and more aau parents’ coaches and college coaches about the problems they see. I have been to numerous tournaments, its part of my job. What I see each time I go is sad to say the least and borderline abusive. 1% of all kids who go to a 4 year college play at the DI level. Avg. DI scholarship $10,780 a year. But it really is not that much because Football and basketball are head count sports. (Full) Only half of the 1% who play at the DI level play for free. Then 1% of that 1% go on to pro. That life expectancy is 4 years in pro sports... Average pro salary $80K 77 times more non athletic scholarships than athletic. 25% of all kids going to college get some non athletic financial aid only 1% get athletic financial aid. PLAY FOR FUN! I just had a meeting with a big time college AD. At the end he said, oh my vive been doing it wrong all along with my kids (and he ended up divorced) I said, that is in the past. now you know the difference. spread the word Until we can convince the ones like you who get it that it is important to say we could have done it differently and share that with friends and family, our struggle to change this culture will be even more difficult. You knew something was amiss and you did your best to fight it. well done There is no medical evidence that not playing year round makes you rusty. There is plenty that says the opposite. playing other sports actually makes you a better basketball player as many pro players will tell you. the medical evidence is overwhelmingly positive just in injuries for those who don’t play one sport year round. I know it’s hard, but if we can’t convince the really good parents like you that there is a different way to raise kids in this difficult environment, our job is going to get even harder