Originally aired in February 2020.

Kids are kids, and they need to have fun. Nowadays, there’s a tendency to push kids into picking a particular sport at a young age. There’s the prevailing idea that if a kid isn’t specializing early, they’re falling behind.

Southbay FC founder Kelly Gray says in actuality, kids should be doing the opposite. They should be able to try out as many sports as they want when they’re young, and hold off on choosing a main focus until they’re older.

For nearly a decade, Gray played in Major League Soccer. He became a coach soon after retiring from the field. He saw both kids and adults questing for player perfection when they should have been focusing on progress. Kids need to be able to enjoy their sports experience, Gray says, and have the opportunity to learn various skills.

Those extra abilities will serve them well as they get older and put them ahead of the competition when it really counts.

What You’ll Learn:

• Aim for progress, not perfection

• Encourage diversity of experience

• Allow young athletes to fail

• Wait to specialize until kids are older

• Offer breaks to prevent burnout