This Former Pro Athlete Broke Down The Facts About Your Kid's Actual Athletic Potential
“If you have to ask me ... they're probably not an elite athlete."
A former pro athlete, a coach, and an owner of Next Level Athletes Nate Daniels posted a now-viral TikTok, hoping to reach parents who may see some potential in their kid’s athletic prowess but aren’t quite sure if they should go all in.
“Is my child an elite athlete? First of all, if you have to ask me that question, they're probably not an elite athlete but stay with me,” Daniels begins.
“When you have an elite athlete, it is glaring. They stick out like a sore thumb. A layman could walk in the gym and be like, ‘Man, who is that kid?’ You could walk out on the soccer pitch, the baseball field, the lacrosse field, and everyone knows that kid is different.”
“That affirmation will come from other parents towards you talking to you about your kid. It will come from coaches talking to you about your kid. And like my idol when I was growing up, used to say, Walter Payton, ‘When you're good, you're going around telling everybody how good you are. But when you're great, they're telling you.’”
Next, Daniels advises parents to slow down with the “going pro” chatter.
“As a sports performance coach and a former athlete myself, I'm not as enamored with child prodigies as you. People post their seven-year-old on the internet going between their legs or juggling the soccer ball or doing whatever athletic feat. And you'll see in the comments, ‘Next Stop MLB, Next Stop NBA, Next Stop NFL.’ And all I think of when I see that is, ‘Slow down!’”
Daniels said most parents and coaches can’t start making any sort of emotional and financial investment into their kids’ athletic careers until their child has hit puberty.
“Anyone who knows anything about athletic performance, you do not know what you have until a kid has hit puberty. I've coached and trained youth athletes that were completely dominant at the youth level. And after they hit puberty has disappeared. And the beautiful thing I've also coached, the vice versa,” he explained.
“So the moral of the story is parents, if you have a youth athlete that is experiencing success, just let them enjoy that success. Let them continue to work hard. And parents, be patient to see how it will play out. I'm not saying this to burst your bubble or to temper your being. I'm proud. I want you to be proud of your kids, but these expectations that you're projecting, just aren't realistic most times.”
Then Daniels directs his thoughts to youth athletes themselves, encouraging them to work hard, keep going, and stay focused and patient.
“If you're a kid that's struggling at the youth level, keep your head down and keep working. Do not let anything discourage you. You never know what the future holds. But in order to fulfill that potential, you have to keep putting in the work,” he says.
“Athletic development is a marathon, not a sprint. No one cares who the best U8 player is, U9 player is. Holler at me when you're 17, 18, 19 years old. Then we'll talk. Other than that, just learn the game and have as much fun doing it. Hope that helps!”
After Daniels’ video gained traction, hundreds of TikTok users commented with their own thoughts on youth sports.
“This is so true. My son was a beast as a youth. Everybody knew his name. Then puberty hit and he disappeared. Still not sure what happened. 🤷🏾♀️,” one mom wrote.
Another wrote, “I can’t tell you how many middle school kids and even freshmen level out in 10th grade and then everyone else catches up and most of the time surpasses!”
“💯 also …parents who are counting on sports paying for college …pay a tutor for a better ROI. I just focus on hey babe… just have fun. Learn to love the sport(s). ♥️,” another noted.
“My daughter dominated basketball until the other girls grew too 😅,” another admitted.
One parent wrote, “I have 5 boys (play all city seasonal sports). All ‘middle of the pack’ athletes, except #4. Not sure if it’s because he was around it but his vision/IQ/hand-eye/speed. Have HS coaches tryin to poach him, he’s only 9,” they wrote.
In the past decade or so, youth sports have become a whole new beast with club levels, elite levels, and everything in between.
We’ve all seen the videos of parents getting in fist-fights with each other or even referees over a game. The comments on those videos usually center around the notion that parents are totally delusional to be this worked up because their kid is not going to go pro!
According to Daniels, there is truly no way of even knowing until way down the line. So, what route should parents take with their kids who may have some athletic ability? (Hint: it’s not brawling on the sidelines!) Just be patient, have fun with your kids, and don’t put too much pressure on them.
