My sister shared an article* about West Virginia University wide receiver, David Sills V. Sills made news 6-1/2 years ago when, at the age of 13 years, he committed to USC to play quarterback. Coaching staffs changes and by his senior year, he decommitted from USC and went to WVU (my alma mater!). He did not, however, find himself the starting quarterback for the Mountaineers. Instead, he was moved to wide receiver—where he excels. The transition wasn’t easy, and it took a brief juco transfer to get the dream of being a quarterback out of his system. Nonetheless, Sill has found where he is supposed to be.
The whole story is a great read. There is a lesson in it for all of us, but especially for young athletes—and, particularly, for their parents. We all dream, but sometimes it takes the death of a dream to reveal what we are supposed to be doing.
The notion of committing to a University at 13 in any sport and/or–especially–at a specific position is absurd and unfair to the athlete. Yet, it is becoming common place for athletes, at the direction, quite often of coaches (interestingly, often coaches who have a financial interest in the athlete’s specialization, e.g., as a private position coach or owner of a club team), to specialize at a very early age. Unfortunately, more and more parents are being convinced that this is a necessity, if the athlete is to “make it to the next level”.
At 12-13 years, the athlete has only begun to reach the level physical and emotional maturity where sports specialization has any benefit (if there is such a benefit). Early specialization can also rob the athlete of the opportunity to discover where his or her true talent(s) lay. There is mounting scientific (and empirical, if one is willing to open one’s eye to it) evidence that early specialization is not helpful and even detrimental to the athlete’s long-term success. In The Sports Gene, David Epstein suggests that athletic success is a matter of “hardware and software”. In other words, success requires the genetic predisposition and athleticism, as well as the specific skill development. Prior to the age of 13-14 years, it is best for the athlete to emphasize athletic development and physical maturation. At 14 years or so, the athlete can quickly develop the specific neural programming that comes with skill development. The list of athletes who found their sport “late” is quite long. The story of David Sills V tells us that an athlete can spend years chasing the wrong dream. It also shows that athleticism counts first.
What is “athleticism”? It is a rather ambiguous and intangible word. What does it mean when someone says, “That kid is athletic”? Personally, I find it a bit hard to express as a list of bullet points. I find it something that is more intuitive. It involves how the athlete moves and the degree to which he or she naturally demonstrates motor skill-related fitness—agility, coordination, balance, reaction time, speed, and power. You just know it when you see it. Unfortunately, it reveals itself in some kids earlier or later than it does in other kids. It is unfortunate because some kids get boxed into a sport and position too early and burn out or wear out before they fully find their path. Meanwhile, other athletes lose interest because they are sidelined before they have the chance to shine—or they learn that they are not as good at 15 as they were at 9. The flame of the dream either burns out or never fully catches. Either way, it is a shame for these kids.
As long as there are parents buying to the myth of sports specialization and club sports continue to grow, there will be a push for join the fallacy. If, as a parent, you see promise in your child’s athleticism, let your priority be that they have fun and just play. Allow them the opportunity to develop motor skills, as well as other non-sport-specific talents, and let’s not forget academics. Teach your prospective athlete, above all else, to be coachable. If you want to spend money to help the child’s prospects in sport, find a qualified strength and conditioning professional who can help them develop physically (and mentally) and focus on motor skill development and injury prevention. (The rise in ACL injuries among young female athletes—it is not surprising that this is especially true for sports like volleyball and soccer—should be cause for alarm and a strong argument for sports performance conditioning over private position coaching.)
My son is not a starter on his football team. Unlike many parents, who might be questioning the coaches, I am grateful. I am, personally, not interested in having him be a starter. He has phenomenal coaches across his sports. The athletes are learning first and foremost to be better people through sports. They are learning to be coachable—on and off the field. My son is athletic (I married well). On any given day, he can be the best on the team in a number of positions. However, it is not every day. So, for one, I am thankful that he is being made to learn that effort is rewarded. He has to work harder, if he wants to start. That said, I realize that starting may actually work to his detriment. If he starts, it is likely in one position. He’ll play that position and get pulled on occasion so that all the kids have a chance to play. As a promising athlete, he can get more playing time being able to fill a variety of holes on the offense or defense. It is making him better across the board. It also carries over to (and from) the other sports he enjoys—wrestling and lacrosse. There are kids on the team who are more consistently good at certain positions. My son may be better than them or he may not be. That is for the coaches to decide. Ultimately, I want my son to be a team player first. Contribute where he is needed. Work hard and be coachable. He will learn to be consistent, and his role on the team will be revealed. It is not for me to fuel his dreams. It is not for me to tell the coaches where he should be (or wants to be) playing. My role as a parent is to support him and the coaches.
I have no idea where sports will lead (he just turned 12 years). Sports may ultimately not be his thing. All I ask of him is that he be his best today and be better tomorrow. He may play defensive end for WVU or wrestle for Iowa. He may be a lacrosse goalie or a LSM. He may change sports completely or shift his interests elsewhere. He may have an athletic scholarship, an academic scholarship, or we might pay for college out-of-pocket. He might choose a trade over college. Who knows? It is his path. It is his dream to dream.
Carpe momento!
*https://www.si.com/college-football/2017/08/25/david-sills-v-recruitment-usc-west-virginia