The five workouts that will guarantee you win the state championship. How to be the first teenager to run a two hour marathon. Why running over 100 miles a week is the only way to be a successful miler. However, you will be getting some simple common sense advice and observations from someone who has been involved in sports as an athlete, coach, and official for forty years. And, please , if I start sounding too much like a prophet or guru, bring me back to earth.
Variety is the spice of life.
It means too many kids are being asked to make decisions about what they want to do much sooner than necessary or even wise. It's hard if you're a parent who was a talented runner not to want your son or daughter to carry on or reclaim the family's athletic honor. It's hard if you're a coach not to want your star athletes competing all year long by the time they reach 10 so that the team will win and they will get those scholarships or get to the Olympics. Let's all take a step back and sometimes take a break from the same activity or people everyday. Twelve months a year in the same sport isn't healthy and is likely to burn a child's enthusiasm out by the first year or two in high school.