Key Foundations for Sports Parents

You can have a great time and still get things DONE!

This article breaks down into 4 key steps:

#1: Gymnastics

Whether you enroll your kids in a gymnastics class or set up mats and rings at home, the opportunity and guidance to move and control one’s own body is “step 1.”

Think: “Control the movement of my body, then control movement outside my body (such as sports objects, opponents, or even lifting weights).”

This is not an absolute rule, but it helps create a simple and workable framework.

From my kids rolling on mats and swinging from rings, to me rebuilding my body’s mobility, to my dad regaining the ability to do a pull-up, the ability to control your body is a foundation for life.

#2: Relax and Enjoy a Wide Variety of Sports!

In high school, Michael Jordan didn’t win a state championship. He grew up playing a variety of sports, and in his first two years of high school he didn’t even make the varsity team!

In high school, Stephen Curry didn’t win a state championship, and he received very little interest from colleges. Both of his parents were star athletes at Virginia Tech, yet Virginia Tech had no interest in Steph.

Steph’s mom played volleyball. Most people aren’t aware that his dad played both basketball and baseball in college. As Steph grew up, his dad intentionally had him play a variety of sports and withheld him from year-round basketball during key physical development years.

LeBron James was a state champion in high school, but he, too, played a variety of sports growing up, and was a star football player in high school.

The point is: How stressed out you are early does not predict how successful your kids will be later.

In sports, in my marriage, in business, these days I think to myself:

“What would this look like if it was FUN?!”

You can be passionate and have a great time and still get things DONE.

I don’t believe that being fearful and stressed are superior to the effortless thrill you feel when you know you’re on the right track with something!

My kids are 3 and 5, and I’ve been homeschooling them recently.

I have:

-a Little Tike T-ball set

-Little Tike basketball sets

-a soccer ball and goals

-a foam football

-dodgeballs

This gives me 5 sports I can rotate, and I’ll add even more.

(Guess who’s having FUN!)

#3: Consider Adding Strength Training (Increased Ability) When Demand Goes to Extremes

Many people could simply do steps 1 and 2 for their entire lives and be among the healthiest in modern society!

However, life can unleash extreme demands.

This is where strength training can be magical.

When I specialized in just basketball, the Demand on my knees was too great for the Ability of my knees.

If the game was played underwater, my knees would have been just fine.

By increasing the Ability of my knees, the Demand of the game was easier to handle.

This is the simplicity of how I revived my career, attracted full college scholarship offers, and have been dunking for over a decade without a knee problem, despite not being able to dunk prior.

For basketball, the knees experience extreme Demand.

For track, the hamstrings can experience extreme Demand.

For baseball, the shoulders and elbows experience extreme Demand.

#4: Realize That Helping Others is King

If the Sacramento Kings play the Golden State Warriors, kings and warriors are not actually fighting to protect their people.

Sports are games. They entertain fans. Fans pay. Successful athletes wind up rich. They obtain incredible material things.

Yet all of that still pales in comparison to a passion and effectiveness for helping others.

Never lose sight of this.

I “failed” to make the NBA, but I’ve helped more people than most successful athletes. I have a thrill and passion in real life that feels like winning the NBA finals.

And I can live this thrill again and again and again, as long as I live.

Bonus Step #5, and Conclusion

I’m a head high school basketball coach about halfway into the season.

We possess less size, less athleticism, and less experience than just about every team we’ve faced.

We’re already almost out of playoff contention.

WOW: What an opportunity we have…

If we can go out every game, no matter the score, no matter the lack of playoff hopes this season, and try to play our best IN THAT MOMENT AND UNTIL THE BUZZER SOUNDS, we can gain priceless mental toughness that will help us the rest of our lives.

No one on this team is trying to play college basketball. Every player has career plans in other areas. Every player will benefit from not wavering from the moment the game tips off till the final buzzer sounds.

Within 4 years, we will have the best team in our school’s 50-year history, if they so choose. I know, because I’m the only player from this school system to get college scholarships, and I’ve been compiling my exact skill and physical development systems in a free playlist which anyone can study and use to take the reins of creating college/pro level basketball abilities.

However, even if they don’t choose to pursue my basketball abilities, even if they lose every game from here on out, there is still something to be gained for life by giving their all despite no apparent short-term reward.

Yours in Solutions,

Ben

ATG Online Coaching (Affordable access to all my programs, with form coaching so you eventually get each movement as I would help you get it in-person.)

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