I found this article by @Marjaana really resonated with me. We see kids excluded or burnt out from too much emphasis in being competitive in sport too early in the UK. It goes much beyond sport though, as it impacts adult movements pattens, which impacts health, which impacts … There are many adults whose sedentary habits are rooted in their childhood experiences.
I wonder what is the downside of Norwegian system. There must be something. Just curious.
Thanks @Phil
@Aet here’s a nice write up about the real Norwegian Method
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0949328X26000530
It outlines really nicely how the system works, and also the challenges they are facing. One of them is early specialization, and focus on short term results, and the obvious conflict of natural desire of parents and clubs to highlight the generational talents at 15.
The reality is that very very few “best in their age group at 15” are going to be the best in nation yet alone best in the world at 20 or 28. in many endurance sport you can find your best way into the 30s!
There are also increasing amount of commercial factors in play pulling athletes to private clubs and talents staying outside of the sport federation development. This is of course both good and bad. Talents who don’t get access to national teams, perhaps extend their development in these teams, but what is the team culture like, I don’t know. ![]()
As I sit here waiting for my u12 son’s basketball game to start, youth development is top of my mind. The USA youth sports need to take a note of this article I just posted.
MJ