Malcolm Gladwell, the author of The Tipping Point among many others, published Revenge of the Tipping Point, a look back at what he got right and what may not have turned out to be correct. As I was listening to a new podcast interview, he made a comment on youth sports that stuck with me:

Travel to a game should never take longer than the game itself.

Sport should be fun, not work. Playing on a travel team may seem exciting, but it’s a huge commitment by the entire family, both in time and money. Gladwell’s point was that the quest may not be worth the return. It doesn’t mean that there’s no benefit, but in context, playing to enhance an application for college seven years away is a long shot.

Riley runs like the wind and he can dribble both a soccer and basketball well. But unless he develops a keen interest in the games, playing local makes the most sense. The reason? He’s having fun, staying active, and making friends. I want to see athletics remain a life-long activity rather than watch him burn out chasing the spotlight. To that extent, I agree with Malcolm. If you have a little Tiger Woods or Serena Williams at home, you may decide differently, but the reason you know their names is that their level of talent is extremely rare. Most kids just want to have fun with their friends, and that may be the best lesson they can learn about sports.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

P.S. If you have a young athlete at home, make sure you’re feeding them the right stuff at the right times; get Dr. Chet on Youth Sports in either MP3 or CD.