A Coach’s Perspective: Keep Youth Sports Fun and Balanced

Parents, let’s talk about a common pitfall in youth sports—early specialization. It’s easy to feel like you need to keep up when you see other kids doing private lessons or focusing on one sport year-round. But trust me, as someone who’s been around the game for years, that’s not the secret to long-term success. In fact, it can lead to burnout, injuries, and even kids losing their love for the sport. The best approach? Let your kids explore multiple sports. This helps them grow physically, emotionally, and socially—and they’ll have a lot more fun along the way! The trick is ONE SPORT PER SEASON. A light workout in a second sport is acceptable, but my experience, after two decades and over 3000 kids, is the ones who try full time sports at the same time become mediocre in both 99% of the time. Youth sports should be about building skills, making friends, and discovering a passion, not turning into a chore. Let’s create an environment where kids can enjoy their athletic journey with...