May 30, 2018

100: “Let the Kids Play”: Jorge Carvajal, Zach Even-Esh, Jeremy Frisch: Youth Athletics and Early Specialization Roundtable | Sponsored by SimpliFaster

1 hour 5 minutes

Today’s episode features a special roundtable featuring experts Jorge Carvajal, Zach Even-Esh and Jeremy Frisch. Together, these coaches have over half a century of training expertise, and have worked with a wide sweeping range of athletes. In addition to this, their experience is with many athletes ranging from very young to professional level, and have also seen the changes sport culture that have come about over the last few decades (if you aren’t aware, those changes have resulted in injury rates magnitudes higher than what was seen in the 1990’s). Today’s topic is the injury crisis in youth sports and the related deprivation of movement and physical literacy of the coming generation.

I was asked a while ago if I had anything special planned for the 100th episode of the podcast (I can’t believe it’s gone so far!). I didn’t have much in mind for it, but I’ve actually saved this recording a few episodes to be 100, since I feel that it checks a lot of boxes on what makes this podcast what it is, and that is the time and willingness of great coaches to be a voice to help other coaches, and ultimately, help athletes reach their highest potential.

I think that the message today that these three coaches bring is honestly the most important one of all, more important than getting an extra tenth off your 40 yard dash, and a higher calling than tacking 2 extra inches on one’s vertical jump. That higher calling is the physical literacy and movement crisis that so many young athletes are facing. It is one that elicits burnout and injury like never before seen, and also feeds into the nature of our educational system itself.

Topics covered on the show include the age an athlete may actually be ready to specialize and when that is appropriate, how local culture impacts which sport a child plays, how depriving students of movement is harming students educational and global experiences and how to bring physical literacy back into our culture.

Today’s episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster.com, supplier of high-end athletic development tools, such as the Freelap timing system, kBox, Sprint 1080, and more.

View more show notes at Just-fly-sports.com/podcast-100

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By Joel Smith, Just-Fly-Sports.com