Training Matters: Sports have certainly changed

By ED STILES on April 20, 2019.

At the risk of being seen as one, I would like to share the definition of a curmudgeon – a crusty, ill tempered and usually old man, opinionated, stubborn, a killjoy, a wet blanket. The other day I had the pleasure of a conversation with a curmudgeon, let’s call him Curtis, who checked all the boxes in that definition.

Allow me to paraphrase a couple snippets: “Kids today are lazy wimps, they got no grit, no commitment. When I was coaching…”

“Youth sports is watered down with participation medals, fair play BS, and namby pamby injury awareness crap. When I was coaching…”

“When were you coaching?” I had to inquire. Surprise, it turns out it had been close to 30 years since he had had any meaningful interaction with youth sport or youths at all for that matter. Yet he had formed some very strong opinions. Opinions that we have all heard before, and may, in some instances, have merit.

However, are we even talking about the same thing? It is vital that at the outset we separate sport for the masses from competitive sport. We absolutely must offer sport designed specifically to get more kids off the couch. The obesity crisis and health issues affecting a large percentage of youth population demands that we promote sport focused on fun and friendship where we reward participation, everyone succeeds, and everyone belongs because the option is kids at home alone, dying a slow death from inactivity.

I agree, we have watered down some sport but it is an effort for the greater good. Not everyone needs a gold medal around their necks but we all need to move our bodies.

Don’t you worry though, the other end of the spectrum is alive and kicking. One of the more enjoyable aspects of my 26 years as a strength and conditioning coach has been training competitive athletes. I have worked with literally thousands of them.

Many of these youngsters have more grit, commitment, and a better work ethic than Curtis Curmudger could dream of. In addition, many of them play off-season leagues, multiple levels of leagues, they work out, play through the pain, aren’t happy unless they’re winning, always looking for an edge – exactly what Curtis would want.

Sadly, I have witnessed many of the young athletes at this end of the spectrum never reach their potential, and I quote the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine: “…the increasing highly competitive nature of youth sports has fuelled trends of extensive training, sport specialization, and participation in large numbers of competitive events at young ages. Consequently, overuse injuries and burnout have become common.”

The Sports Trauma and Overuse Campaign (STOP), a movement begun by sports orthopedic surgeons in the U.S., echoes this sentiment and adds that year-round participation is another contributing factor. This organization has developed many resources for anyone involved in competitive youth sport. Please access their website stopsportsinjuries.com to help keep gritty kids playing the sports that they love, while proving old curmudgeons wrong.

Ed Stiles BPE Certified Exercise Physiologist is a member of the Alberta Sport Development Centre’s Performance Enhancement Team and is the Fitness Coordinator at the Family Leisure Centre, he can be reached via email at asdc@mhc.ab.ca or ed1sti@medicinehat.ca.

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