The growth of youth phenoms

My children desire to be professional athletes. As a parent there are two ways I could choose to respond to their dream. I could tell them there is a very small chance of that happening so we should work on a plan B; or, I could support them the best way I know how. I choose the latter—passionately.  Our pursuit has lead to a ton of criticism and skepticism because of my methodology. My children have numerous YouTube videos, Instagram accounts, a family brand, website, and even their own individual logos already. Many will say that is too much since Myles is 13 (class of 2024) and Brysen is 8 (class of 2028). And those who say it’s too much also don’t understand the growing business of youth sports or recruiting.

If you follow youth sports at all then you are well aware of some of the following names. For those who follow sports on any level then I assure you that you have seen footage or came across a story about one of the following young phenoms:

Take a second to checkout YouTube or Instagram and be amazed by Bunchie or any of these youth stars. I follow all these kids and many more on social media. Those kids listed will all be between 3^rd grade and 8^th grade next school year. Some of them have college scholarship offers already (Bullet from Miami and Marshall from Michigan). Others have 50,000+ followers on social media and as a result are already getting paid as models or receiving free merchandise by brands. These kids travel and compete at the highest levels of their sport for their age in games and camps. I have the utmost respect for these kids, their parents, and their ability to be successful and grab our attention. Youth sports has become a billion dollar business and instead of complaining these families have chosen to capitalize on it.

Click the photo to link to a story about Bullet being offered:

When these kids show up to a tournament and camps the other players and coaches already know who they are. The youth video and scouting services film their games and do interviews. The major programs are looking to add them and recruit them from their current team. I can tell you from personal experience that when your child is known they get better opportunities to play and at a reduced rate. Coaches in other states know who my children are and both have been invited to all-star camps as a result. I’m actually taking Brysen to a football camp this coming weekend in Miami.

That is just one of the reasons I’ve actively promoted my children despite the criticism. Many from a far will say these kids train too hard or will burn out. They talk about the parents living their personal dreams through their child. But none of them have talked to the child or the parent. They are just guessing about how the child feels. They are projecting outdated information and fears onto a successful family. And I say successful because while others debate what that parent should or shouldn’t be doing with their child, two things have already been accomplished. One, that child is developing a routine and lifestyle of consistent hard work and discipline. Two, people all over the sports world know that kid and are talking about him. Getting noticed is the first step in recruiting.

Websites are already ranking these kids so at a minimum the official high school sites will have to look into these kids when they begin their rankings.  Kids like Scottie Barnes (basketball class of 2020) and Chad Mascoe (football class of 2022) are examples of kids who have been highly ranked since middle school and nothing changed once they got to high school. They were both offered scholarships early and often. They developed slightly before the boom of social media accounts for kids. However, the model is the same. Get your kids noticed early, expose them to high level competition consistently, and create the best opportunity for them to be successful. As a parent it is my responsibility to create the best and biggest stage for my child to perform on. It is my child’s job to perform and turn heads given that opportunity.

The phenoms mentioned above are on the right track and will continue to be followed as they get older Blaze has over 500k followers on Instagram. Travis Perry played high school basketball as a 7^th grader last year. I’ve put Myles on teams and gone to tournaments he has been at because that’s where the best are playing. He has played against Jerry Easter and other top level basketball players and teams in the country. In those games he showed that he belongs on the same court as those kids. We loss but you go back home knowing the gap isn’t too big and you work. Brysen has played against Flash and worked out with Enzo and the result was the same. He belongs on the field and court with them, and at this age that’s all you’re looking for. Can my child compete with “the best”? Will my child stand out, fit in, or fall to the back when put in a setting with all the players that people are coming to see? As long as we continue to at least fit in each time we can come back home and work harder.

It’s a competition but in the sense of iron sharpens iron. The ability to connect and compete with hardworking kids and families is a blessing, not a challenge. I’ve been working on this journey with my kids for seven years now and learned from failure and success. Tapping into what others are doing the past couple years is accelerating our learning process. I’ve gotten much better at making videos, graphics, and training. I won’t be depending on my son’s high school coach for any of his recruiting. I know what classes, camps, tournaments, and all star games he needs to attend.

This is fun for us because we do it our way and we do it together. I’ve noticed that the kids above and others I follow are all doing it a little bit differently. In my opinion, as long as they are having fun pursuing it together as a family then everyone of them is doing it right. Keep your opinions about when a child should lift weights or just have fun to yourself! I love showing up to AAU tournaments and seeing the same dad’s with their sons. Keep doing what you’re doing! Keep chasing the dream an instilling those good habits in your child. Those who can, do. Those who can’t, hate. Until next time, B U!