For the Many and the Few

Introducing Athlete Generation.

Bringing sport to a generation that needs it more than ever is arguably the most urgent challenge facing those of us who care about sport and human flourishing in general. Broadly, this is the purpose of Athlete Generation.

The Athlete Generation project has two main foci. The first is making sure that there is a path for those youngsters who dream of competing at the highest level and ensuring they are equipped to step up when their time comes. The second and perhaps more meaningful part on a societal level is helping the majority of kids to realise all that sport has to offer in supporting their cognitive, social and emotional development, as well as their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Early in my professional journey I had the realisation that whilst the prestige might be reserved for those working with senior athletes at elite and professional level, the greatest impact could be made during the years before these athletes reached the senior ranks. As the years have gone by, an ever increasing number of colleagues across sports have voiced mounting concerns that young performers coming through the ranks are less equipped, whilst also facing new challenges - notably social media - that those before them did not have to contend with. With all the gaps to be filled and the scope of the challenge, the role of those guiding aspiring young performers through the junior ranks (not least parents) has never been more important. The need is great - but so is the opportunity (and this applies especially with female athletes), which is a big part of what inspired me to launch Athlete Generation. Ensuring these needs are met and making the most of the opportunity means helping those who support the young performer to access the support and expertise they need, hence that will be a big focus for the content we will share.

Beyond the narrow confines of performance sport, most would tend to agree that sport is a net good for society, yet it is under appreciated just how important sport, physical exercise and play are for developing children and teens. In recent years have seen alarming trends with kids becoming less active and many are being left behind, which was only compounded by the recent period of the pandemic. The old adage ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ turns out to be true: there is overwhelming evidence that teens especially are less healthy, less happy, less social and the numbers reporting mental health struggles is through the roof. If we are to reverse this trend, it is vital that parents, teachers and young people themselves understand what is at stake - so this will be a central theme of the content I plan to share. Reviving physical education, rediscovering play and boosting participation in sport through the childhood and adolescent years are all crucial if we want to help kids to develop, learn and flourish not only in school but out in the world. As well as making sure that kids and parents understand the value, there must also be adequate opportunity to participate throughout the childhood and teenage years in a way that aligns with the participants’ goals as they evolve. To that end, the intention is to come up with strategies and practical solutions for clubs and coaches to help them deliver these opportunities on the ground.

Progress on both fronts will require a coalition. A big part of the reason for launching on substack is to attempt to reach a wider readership, including parents, teachers, coaches and decision-makers who oversee programmes and policy. That said, I hope to bring along our existing readership from the Informed Practitioner in Sport and Prepared Athlete Training & Health websites as the bedrock of this new community of readers on substack.

The sport and local context naturally shape the challenges that readers face - notably, the region of the world where the reader happens to live has a significant bearing. To give an example, the commercialisation of youth sports in North America (organised youth sports represent a 15.3 billion dollar industry in the US alone) poses unique problems for parents trying to navigate this landscape. To help readers apply relevant insights to the local situation on the ground I will be drawing on what I have learned from operating in a diverse array of sports and my experiences of living and working in multiple countries across three continents.

I aim to make a compelling case and with the help of you, the reader, I hope that the content reaches its intended audience. In doing so, I hope to build a community and perhaps even start a movement. Ultimately I hope that what is shared helps to inspire and inform action that makes a material difference on the ground. Thank you for the support as we embark on this journey.