Hi,

This week I was reminded of how much of an impact the environment around us, our surroundings, have on our behaviour.

I listened to a podcast episode that talked about what society's influence on weight loss was (pre-Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs).

Something lit up way back in my mind, as I have known, but not articulated this connection before.

The similarities between the environment's impact on weight loss, how supportive or non-supportive it is, how easily available unhealthy foods are, how hard it can be to make good choices and how the very infrastructure of our neighbourhood can exclude us from being physically active and youth football was making the lightbulb glow for me.

In our kids' football journeys, the environment is the absolutely most important part for the vast majority of players. How practice is conducted, how easy it is to play and practice on their own at home or at the local park with friends, how much pressure is on the team to perform vs to develop for the long-term, and how everyone around our kids expect them to 'power through' a niggle or small injury are all kind of 'invisible' forces pushing our kids in certain directions.

We often think of willpower as being the critical part of weight-loss, or a kid's 'inner drive' and 'winning mentality' as the path to be the best.

And although those can certainly be important, and for some, adults and kids, can even lead them to success in the long-term, the very large majority is failed by what is around them.

The successful ones succeed despite being in a non-optimal environment.

Good thing is, parents can actually influence a lot of what's going on in and around our kids' football life. If we can take a step back, see the forest and not just the trees, we have a shot at providing a really valuable developmental environment for our kids.

It won't make everyone a professional player, but it can certainly make them better and healthier athletes, more rounded and well-adjusted humans, and it can be easier for us as parents as well, not having to react to every new fad, every new training drill, or whatever is this weeks new fancy.

Best,

Hans Martin

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