Dear Parents,
For more than three decades, researchers have documented concerning declines in children's physical activity, motor skill development, confidence, social interaction, and overall well-being. This decline has occurred alongside a decrease in youth sports participation, as regular team sport participation among U.S. children ages 6–17 declined by approximately 6% between 2019 and 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified and exacerbated these existing challenges, highlighting the critical importance of developing physically literate children. Research has consistently demonstrated that physically literate children experience benefits that extend well beyond sport, positively influencing their physical health, psychological well-being, cognitive development, and social-emotional growth throughout life.
Physical literacy is defined as "the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life." Physical literacy helps children develop the confidence, competence, and motivation to enjoy movement, increasing the likelihood that they will remain physically active throughout adolescence and into adulthood. One of the most effective ways to foster physical literacy while supporting a child's psychological, cognitive, social, and emotional development is through participation in a Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) program.
A Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) program, consistent with the principles of the U.S. Olympic American Development Model, stresses long-term growth over immediate performance. This approach recognizes that every child develops at a different rate and that long-term success is achieved by matching training and competition to a child's stage of growth and maturation rather than simply their chronological age.
LTAD focuses on building fundamental movement skills, physical competence, and confidence through a variety of enjoyable sports and physical activities. Children develop stronger bones, muscles, cardiovascular fitness, balance, coordination, and flexibility. As their motor competence improves, they become more confident movers, willing to try new activities and remain physically active. These experiences establish the foundation for lifelong health while reducing the risk of injury through proper movement mechanics, gradual progression, and appropriate workloads.
Participation in an LTAD program also supports children's psychological and cognitive development. At a time when many young people experience rising levels of stress, anxiety, and social isolation, positive sport experiences help build confidence, resilience, perseverance, and self-esteem, while teaching children to overcome challenges and learn from setbacks. Regular physical activity has also been associated with improvements in attention, executive functioning, problem-solving, memory, and academic achievement.
One of the greatest strengths of youth sport is its ability to help children develop into caring, responsible, and socially connected individuals. Positive coaching within an LTAD program helps children develop qualities that extend far beyond sport. As children experience age-appropriate challenges and successes, they build confidence in their abilities, learn about teamwork, communication, and leadership, and develop meaningful personal connections. They also develop the character traits of respect, responsibility, perseverance, and integrity. These lessons often become life skills that extend well beyond the playing field.
Many parents understandably believe that specializing in a single sport at an early age is necessary for athletic success or college scholarships. As a parent of a D1 scholarship basketball player who resisted sport specialization until high school, my experience as a parent was that allowing our son to play multiple sports as long as possible positively impacted his athletic and psychological development.
Research supports this. Experts today recommend delaying early sport specialization because year-round participation in a single sport increases the risk of overuse injuries, burnout, and reduced enjoyment while limiting opportunities to develop a broad foundation of movement skills. Likewise, a large study of former NCAA athletes found that fewer than one in five specialized before age 15. Instead, children who developed through multiple sports often achieved similar or greater long-term success while maintaining healthier relationships with physical activity.
I understand the pressure and complexities of parenting in today’s high-pressure athletic environment. I want to encourage you to know that you do have support behind your tremendously influential voice in your child's lifelong relationship with physical activity. By enrolling your child in programs that embrace the LTAD model, you can see your child develop into a healthier, happier, more confident, and more resilient young person who possesses the knowledge, skills, and motivation to remain physically active throughout their life. In doing so, they often become better athletes along the way.
Thank you for your commitment to your child's health and development.
Sincerely,
Brad McCorkle
Parent, Coach, and Advocate for young athletes
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