High School Sports are Failing Kids

We are setting kids at the high school level up for DISASTER! Too many young athletes are told the lie that either the weight room isn't important, or there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day or week for 1-2, thirty minute workouts. However, there always seems to be more time for extra lessons, tournaments chasing plastic trophies, and simply put, more of the sport and not enough of the important stuff, STRENGTH AND SPEED.

Kids today are told they are superstars, elite, all stars, D1, and so much unnecessary cloudiness to an already complicated world. We need more coaches to tell kids and parents the truth that their 13 year old is not an elite all star softball player. They are a 13 year old child that needs to learn how to do push ups and pull ups properly.

Kids go to practice and then they play in games yet we think that a speed and agility program utilizing a yellow ladder is what is going to make their kid get faster. High school baseball coaches still believe that long distance running is the best way to condition athletes yet those same coaches don't want anything to do with the weight room they have access to on campus. It is 2025 and we still believe in lies that lifting weights will make you sore, tired, stunt your growth, and that creatine and too much protein is bad for you.

Ever wonder why we Sprint and do the harder stuff earlier in the day and not at the end of practice? It is because a strength Coach understands how to train energy systems while the sport Coach focuses on his practice and game plans. When both worlds work cohesively together, it is the kids and team that will always reap the benefits. Kids that play on high school teams that don't utilize the weight room are a massive problem and we need to do a better job educating the sport coaches and athletic directors on the importance of strength, speed and proper conditioning.

Stop telling everyone you are concerned about developing athletes, when all you are concerned about is your own agenda and winning. Our schools both at the middle and high school levels need more direct access to strength and conditioning, or more young athletes will get thru high school believing that their talents are all they need to succeed. Just remember that college athletes are bigger, faster and stronger than you, especially if they started in high school, you wont stand a chance.

Tracy High Football after a training session in their weight room.