What if?
A series of “what if” scenarios were recently posted on the better ‘gram @thebettercoach. Here, I expand on what I predict would happen if those scenarios came to life. Feel free to add your own predictions in the comments, and enjoy.
If youth athletes spent as much time working on strength, speed, and skill, as they did on sleep, sunlight, and stress, then their strength, speed, and skill would improve.
Spending more time on sleep would improve their recovery. Most of your body’s physical recovery happens when you sleep.
Spending more time on getting sunlight would improve their vitamin D levels. Vitamin D works with calcium to help bone health. Vitamin D also helps with immunity. Plus, sunlight helps with mental health.
Spending more time on stress helps athletes perform better under pressure. Not all stress is bad stress. Our body needs to be exposed to physical stressors in order to build itself up to overcome that same stress with greater ease in the future. When we are exposed to too much stress too soon, it is more difficult for our bodies to build back up. The same is true for mental stress. By intentionally working on mental strategies and techniques to mimic high performance situations, athletes will be able to perform better under pressure.
If youth athletes, and everyone really, slowed down when eating, then we would solve a lot of digestion issues.
We would also become more relaxed. We would choose less ultra-processed foods. We would share more meals with people we care about. We would be more present. We would take a small step towards living a lifestyle like a blue zone, where it’s all about strong relationships and community that lead to longer and more fulfilled lives. We would maybe even start to care about where our food comes from and it’s impact it has on our health, as well as the environment’s health.
If mental and physical training were* required for all youth athlete coaches, then the world would be a better place.
Hear me out - better coaches would lead to better to athletes, which would lead to better people. They are already doing this overseas and the results speak for themselves:
https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/how-france-really-won-the-world-cup/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/28/sports/norway-youth-sports-model.html
There is even a whole book on this concept of being transformational coaches rather than transactional coaches by a former NFL player and now a wonderful HS/youth coach: Inside Out Coaching by Joe Ehrmann
If youth athletes tried some of the above before trying medication, then more youth athletes would be fulfilled with their lives.
I’m not anti-medication; I understand that sometimes it is needed. However, rather than the quick-fix method of going right to medication, try checking off some or all of the bullet points listed above. Or find your own bullet points such as: volunteering, playing with puppies, getting a pet, or finding ways to help others because doing so will help yourself get out of your head. Trust me, I’ve been there. I’ve been anxious, depressed, on medication, and not fulfilled. I practice all of the above now, am off medication, and have never felt as much momentum and passion as I do now to continue to grow The Better Coach. In case you forgot, I’m on a mission to build physically resilient and mentally strong female youth athletes on and off the field.
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