#1 ·
I was watching some local high school sports highlights last night, and it got me thinking about how intense the transition is for these kids lately. It’s not just about playing for fun anymore; it feels like from the moment they hit their junior year, the whole world is looking at them to see where they’ll "land" next.
I remember when I was in high school, the goal was just to win the state championship and maybe get a scholarship if you were lucky. But now, it feels like there's this massive expectation to have a roadmap already drawn up by age 17. You see these incredible athletes who have put in years of sweat and tears, and suddenly they're being branded as "college-bound" before they've even graduated.
It’s a lot of weight to carry. Do you think this early specialization and the constant focus on the "next level" actually helps kids develop, or are we just burning them out before they even get to adulthood?
I remember when I was in high school, the goal was just to win the state championship and maybe get a scholarship if you were lucky. But now, it feels like there's this massive expectation to have a roadmap already drawn up by age 17. You see these incredible athletes who have put in years of sweat and tears, and suddenly they're being branded as "college-bound" before they've even graduated.
It’s a lot of weight to carry. Do you think this early specialization and the constant focus on the "next level" actually helps kids develop, or are we just burning them out before they even get to adulthood?