3C’s that will Compress Time For Your Young Athlete

Intro

Whether we like it or not, evolution is the way of the world. Plants grow, animals grow, ideas evolve. In fact, we all realize that to stop evolving is death.  Since growth and death are our two options here on Earth, everything fights to grow.  We want to grow in our knowledge and expertise, grow in our impact and obviously grow our kids.

Kids are growing at a faster rate than ever before. More teenage experts, millionaires and phenoms have made an impact on our world and significant income doing so.  I wish I knew then, what my kids have access to now (actually I don’t because it's a bit overwhelming, but you get the point!).  With time literally being compressed for so many, here are some tips to help your young athlete compress time, grow faster and get the most from their training.

Clarity

Clarity compresses time because knowing where we are going is a surefire way to get to our destination faster. Most parents start athletics without a clear and identifiable goal.  This can eventually lead to lack of contentment when young athletes don't end where they intended to go.  We now know all the great benefits of athletic participation so never be afraid to chart a course for your young athlete at the outset.

You may want to grow your young athlete’s social skills, physical strength, mental strength, help them earn a college scholarship or even become a pro athlete. No goal is too big or incorrect.  This is because goals get us going! They cause us to move forward with purpose, vigor and excitement, knowing that the end result is going to be good.

Our goal at JSG Training & Performance is to make every one of our clients into a varsity starter. The pursuit of this goal creates life-long  benefits for young athletes both internally and externally. The goal is just enough out of reach, 80% of high school students will never achieve this goal; yet achievable by all who set their mind and intention.

Going after this goal will unlock any other goal you can ever want for your child.  Although I was fortunate to play at the D1 level, become a pro athlete, Attorney, and Athletic Director for over a decade, becoming a Varsity starter was the point at which my life changed.  Becoming a varsity starter let me know that when I put focus and effort into an undertaking, I could manifest fantastic results.  In essence, accomplishing this one goal let me know I was meant for more.

Confidence

Confidence is the belief that we can accomplish our goals. If clarity is key, confidence is the door to get to where we want to be.  Confidence allows us to compress time because we decrease hesitation when we are confident, causing us to move forward faster.

If you have a new set of tires, you feel confident when driving during the rainstorm. This allows you to speed past all those unconfident drivers. When you know the recipe like the back of your hand, you don't have to stop to consult the cookbook and the meal is on the table faster. When you know the diet or workout plan works, you don’t wonder, you put in the work and the results come quicker.

Many Parents lack confidence because they are unsure if the juice is worth the squeeze or the journey worth the cost.  The most confident parents are always those who have an older kid or two and know that athletics is an amazing builder of young people. These parents generally wish they had actually done more to support their kids' athletics goals in a greater and more confident way.

Let me assure you that when you commit with confidence one of two things will most definitely happen. Your young athlete WILL accomplish the goals you set for her or him OR your young athlete will be significantly enhanced by having chased those goals. Either of these outcomes will be your result and likely both.  Sounds like a win/win to me.

Have you ever heard the question, ‘what would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?’  What would you do for your young athlete if you knew they couldn’t fail?  Well they can’t, because the benefits of athletics are never-ending.  Athletics has made me an Attorney, Athletic Director, All-American, focused father, workout warrior, devoted husband and disciple of Jesus Christ.

The trials, tribulations and triumphs of athletic participation significantly enhanced my energy, empathy, ethics and strive for excellence. Athletics has provided me with resiliency, ability to work with others, self-awareness, hard-work ethic, and a winning attitude.  

What’s not to be confident about? Don't be afraid to go ALL-IN to support your young athlete in every way possible!

Comfort

Ok this is actually a play on words because it's the opposite of comfort (ie pain) that will allow us to compress time. Pain allows us to compress time because the path to progress always always involves pain. The quicker we are receptive to passing through pain and discomfort the quicker we will accomplish our goals. 

Any worthwhile goal you set out to accomplish will require pain. Earning the degree requires pain, losing weight requires pain, growing muscles requires pain, getting faster requires pain, getting smarter requires pain, giving birth requires pain (or so my wife tells me!).

As Parents, we naturally want to keep our children from pain.  Perhaps because for most kids, athletics starts off as something done just for fun, we shy away from making it hard.  However, at some point it has to get hard for them to get good.  Pain is the payment for any worthwhile result we seek.

Even as a trainer, I shy away from pushing my kids to pain.  When I see them start to struggle I have a natural inclination to want to help them. To overcome this parental inclination we must get our young athletes around others who will push them.  Seeing other athletes push through pain and having a Coach, Trainer or Mentor guide them through painful circumstances will provide them with an unshakeable confidence.

My good friend Rod Thompson has coined the phrase ‘Be Tougher than Tired!’ This is because humans are naturally inclined to seek comfort.  We will push ourselves to the edge of comfort but not past it, at least not without help.  When you and your young athlete are willing to welcome the pain, you will start to see doors unlocked. First mentally, then physically then externally as others begin to notice. 

As our JP3 Training clients can attest, we push young athlete’s to the point of exhaustion, mentally, physically and even spiritually (focusing on their internal will power).  If your young athlete is in need of mentorship, a systemized plan of attack, or help overcoming a difficult situation surrounding their athletic development book a Parent Playbook Phone Call with us using the link https://www.jp3training.com/parentplaybook.  

Here’s to your young athlete’s success!

Dr. Jason Parker

JP3 Training & Performance