Here’s today’s quick thought:
The single best piece of career-selection advice I’ve ever heard comes in the form of a question from Naval Ravikant:
“What feels like play to you, but looks like work to others?”
Finding those tasks is like a cheat code for success.
If you find work that feels like play, you’ll be immersed. If you’re immersed, you’ll put in a ton of intense, focused, reps. If you put in a ton of intense, focused, reps, you’ll become one of the best in the world at what you do.
How can you help your child find those playful-work tasks (or even find them for yourselves)?
Explore.
There is so much that this world has to offer. Go experience as much as possible, then dive deep into the stuff that lights a fire in your belly.
​
Long-Term Athletic Development Stages
Leonardo Da Vinci worked on the Mona Lisa for 16 years.
The initial draft of that single painting took him 4 years to complete. He continued to tinker and work on finer details until he died 16 years after starting the project.
Cultivating greatness takes time. You can’t microwave a ribeye and expect it to come out Michelin 3-star worthy.
Developing athleticism is no different. You can’t rush the process.
Being the most athletic 8th grader on the travel team doesn’t matter if your kid’s body is shredded and she’s mentally burnt out by the time she’s a junior in high school.
If you truly want to maximize athletic development and peak when it matters, you need to slow cook the process and play the long game.
Development happens in stages. You have to train in a developmentally appropriate manner.
Copying the training routine that your favorite NFL player posted on Instagram will NOT benefit 10-year-old little Johnny.
​
Here’s a brief overview of the long-term athletic development stages. These are heavily influenced by the work of Athletics Canada for their national athletic development program.
​
​1. Active Start
Girls and Boys: 0-6 years old
Our primary objective here is to make movement FUN! We want kids to be super excited to play. It might be absolutely exhausting to chase your toddler around 24/7, but having them enjoy moving and exploring what their body can do is essential.
At this age, exercise should be almost exclusively free play. Exposure to a wide breadth of different types of semi-organized sports (such as gymnastics, swimming, & soccer) can also be helpful.
​
​2. FUNdamentals
Girls: 6-8 years old
Boys: 6-9 years old
Fun is still the #1 priority, but now we’re going to start trying to teach more specific skills. Free play should still be dominant, but getting exposed and sampling every organized sport under the sun can help them learn what they like and provide them with a rich proprioceptive environment.
​
​3. Learn
Girls: 8-11 years old
Boys: 9-12 years old
At this age, play is still the primary means of development (and fun is always the main goal), but that play can become more structured and orchestrated to develop specific skills. These kids should start learning the basics of formal training, like what a set and rep is, appropriate form for squats, hinges, presses, and rows, and the importance of a thorough warm-up.
​
​4. Train
Girls: 11-15 years old
Boys: 12-15 years old
This stage initiates with a miracle moment that unlocks unimaginable potential- puberty. Pre-puberty there are limitations as to how much strength can be developed. If we’ve done our job of laying a solid foundation in the earlier stages, we can gain a huge edge and take advantage of the window where there’s exposure to a ton of anabolic hormones for the first time.
We can start pushing harder and develop more advanced skills.
​
5. Focus
Girls: 15-18 years old
Boys: 15-18 years old
The biggest difference between the Train stage and the Focus stage, is now the athlete starts to narrow down their focus. They know what their “main” sport is. They should play another sport during a different season, but it’s more recreational. There’s time dedicated to a true off-season for development.
​
5. All-in
Girls: 18+ years old
Boys: 18+ years old
During this stage, sports shift to business mode. In the collegiate and professional ranks, you’re all-in on one sport. Significant sacrifices are made, because you are being compensated for your athletic talents (either in the form of a scholarship or cash).
​
6. Active for Life
Girls: Any age
Boys: Any age
Your traditional competitive sports days may be behind you, but your days of exercising are just getting started. The goal here is to maximize your healthspan.
​
Best,
Zach
Dr. Zach Guiser, PT, DPT, CSCS