LeBron James discusses what he sees as the problem with youth sports: “Me and my guys, we ran track and field as well. We played football all through high school. We didn’t just do one thing all year round. I think a lot of kids, they burn the hell out.”

45 comments

  2. AAU circuits giving these kenny smith knees at 26. should be no reason they play 2-3 games in a day.

  5. When I was a kid traveling teams were something the well off kids did. Now it seems like a requirement just to be considered to make try outs for school teams.

  6. I think they nailed both big things happening. The commercialization of the game and kids getting burnt out on it sucks.

    Right now it’s a hell of a lot easier to find trainers and coaches than it is to find a decent pickup game down at the park. That wasn’t the case at all when I was younger and playing.

    I coach youth ball now and there is such a wide gap between the kids who go to camps and work with trainers and those who don’t that it crushes the game for those who don’t, and those who do are grinding almost all year and are bound to see some burnout

  7. I do think a lot of older NBA players benefited a ton from playing soccer or football growing up, as opposed to specializing in only Basketball. Allowed them to not overdo their bodies, plus gain some advantages with like footwork and athleticism

    Mahomes has talked about how beneficial playing multiple sports was for him growing up IIRC

  9. It’s happening in NBA and MLB the most imo.

    Parents are having their kids specialize more into specifically one sport because of the potential to earn big money as a professional. So less multi sport and only focusing on one sport all year round is wearing kids into the ground by the time they are pro ready

    Not surprised seeing the increase in Tommy John surgeries in baseball. Also achillies and ACL tears in NBA.

    Obviously sports are different now. In NBA players are covering more ground than ever before due defenses being forced into rotation and aggressive close outs on shooters. Baseball, velocity is king, and players are throwing harder than ever before where throwing 100 mph isn’t a big deal anymore.

  10. Him playing football in high school makes all of those “LeBron would’ve been a great tight end” takes sound even better

  11. He’s absolutely right about the burnout, but it’s also beneficial to learn to play more than one sport. Little things you learn translate between sports and make you a better athlete.

  12. Yup, AAU takes up a ridiculous amount of kids time nowadays. my little cousin in middle school plays for her team November-March. then as soon as that’s over she’s in AAU playing 1-3 games every other day during spring/summer, sometimes as early as 8am and as late as 9pm. It’s wild how the culture has changed. I played middle school, and high school ball and took my summers off in the meantime.

  14. There are plenty of applications of skill that apply across multiple sports as well.

  15. I think he’s right — if you have the genetic/mental tools to succeed at basketball, playing different sports will do a lot for your overall athletic development and also probably help keep you from wrecking your body.

    A lot of current players do lighter impact activities like cycling, swimming, etc for crosstraining and I think it’s really valuable

  18. I have so many friends that played since they were four. Three of them quit senior year because of being burned out. One guy said it wasn’t fun anymore because he wasn’t playing for himself. All three of them could have played college ball for sure.

  19. We’re also seeing this in baseball. Pitchers throwing all year long is making them blow out their elbows before they graduate high school.

  20. Feels like the Ball family would be the perfect example of this. Both Lonzo and Lamelo have constant lower leg injuries throughout their career which I would assume is from their days of playing so many games so young and those nasty big baller brand shoes.

  21. Early specialisation has NOT proven to produce better athletes/sports players, and in fact has led to more burnout, injuries and dissatisfaction in their sports, yet there are still more and more ‘sports academies’ popping up for kids as young as 8.

    It’s actually very helpful to play a variety of sports (competitively or for fun) to develop a range of movements, skills and strategies.

    I think it’s almost predatory how these programmes target young children and sell this idea that they’ll put them on a fast track to the pros, and unfortunately parents eat that shit up.

  22. I think parents play a huge negative role as well, pushing their kids to fullfil their own dreams of a failed professional athletes career via their kids. Which is not exclusive to the social media era (I saw a skit from the early 1990s about this), but is made worse by it. Basically Lonzo/Lamelo Ball sr.

    I always grew up with the idea that fun and pleasure is the most important part of children’s sport, regardless of their talent level.

  23. 100%

    As an athletic trainer in the middle school and high school setting, parents are often to blame

  25. People have been saying this for a while in basically all sports. Single sport specialization is starting too young and it probably robs a lot of talented kids of fun experiences playing different sports during different seasons.

    Unfortunately, it seems unlikely to ever change because the incentives are just too high for parents and kids to dedicate all their free time to just one sport year-round. If the other top talents are spending all year working on their basketball skills, you don’t want to fall behind because you spent the fall playing football.

  26. It’s VERY important for youth athletes to play multiple sports because not only does it help prevent burnout, it also helps the body to adapt to moving in different planes of motion while activating and utilizing different muscles that different sports require.

  27. Football. Soccer for Americans. Playing both improves skills of both to like a square root. I’m sure other sports help in a similar way.

  29. If all these current pro athletes are saying the same thing… maybe we should look into changing it up for the youth?

    We don’t need to make professional youth sports players

  31. This is a massive topic with a lot levels that have been changing rapidly the last 20 years.  

    Money

    Parent’s wanting to be cool

    Scouts attending tournaments so you must be on these teams to get found

    The rise of NIL and now even easier access to $$$

    Multiple games in a day and the damage to the body over time

    Lack of importance placed on development of team tactics and more on individual, so more $$$ on trainers and coaches

    Despite ample evidence that multi- sport athletes tend continue playing sports longer for enjoyment and have better health during and after playing, people still push kids at super young ages into specializing. And then others are in the mindset they must participate in order to “keep up”, whatever that means. 

    Go watch extreme 10u softball in Texas. Sure some teams are better and they will mop the floor with a typical non insanely competitive league team, but by and large they still suck and the games are horrific to watch.  Parents spend thousands in this league. Sure half the kids may go on and play college ball who knows, but so many are just there to play with friends and due to their own physical and genetic limitations, have no chance of being “professions”. 

    The funny thing is the ones that are insanely talented and obvious D1 athletes in these leagues and travel/club environments would be insanely talented regardless. 

  32. I follow a lot of golf too, and the youth craze is absolutely insane. The burnout is constant because the game is so much harder mentally.

    For girls it’s even HARDER. They basically need to get to pro level by their teens or they have no shot.

    There has to be a healthier way for kids to play sports. I agree with their take that they should play multiple or have other hobbies.

  34. Playing multiple youth sports at least at a decently organized level is also expensive af

  35. Multi-sport upbringing is time tested, championship proven. Tunnel vision a single sport too early on is detrimental to a child’s outlook. These foundational years are best spent soaking in as much variety of concepts and movements as possible.

  36. Hes right and dont let the team be ass. U want me to give up my whole summer for 3-4 wins? I saw it through but mentally I was done after the 5th game. Just wanted to chill with the bros basically

  38. Luka looking around thinking about how he’s been part of club academy since 8 and playing professionally since 13.

  39. kids should never have to do their passion like its a job. it destroys all the fun and the pressure is just too high. bron is definitely an anomaly with his body and his circumstances. it was a lifetime chance to turn his environment around

  40. It’s crazy hearing about kids playing year round one sport because when I was a kid I played whatever was in season lol. It was much more fun switching then consistently practicing one imo.

  41. Lol the split screen with Luka’s reaction next to Lebron is hilarious

  42. This has been talked about for like a decade mostly in baseball with kids who pitch year round and completely drain their arm by the time high school is even finished. Not enough coaches at the youth level care about overexposure.

  43. It makes sense why international players are dominating more and more because they weren’t nearly exposed as much to the AAU circuit. Playing other sports also improves your skills in basketball indirectly whether it’s hand eye coordination, mobility, strength. A shame that a lot of these young stars’ bodies are breaking before they’ve even reached their primes because of their exploitation.

  44. Luka sitting there like “what are these guys talking about?!” lol.

  45. Although I agree with Lebrons point overall, I think it applies only to kids who want to tap out at being on a high school team. Unfortunately, if you aren’t getting some type of year around training in your sport you are falling behind those who want to compete past high school. Which usually are the kids who have the financial stability from their parents. Hell even the NBA now is more kids of former players than it is the kids from around the way.

    Brons plan for Bronny wasn’t to run track and play football in high school to get him ready for the NBA. It was to train with Gilbert Arenas and focus on basketball.

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