Youth sports and travel teams - the Norway system is no system at all . . . but it works

[Tskware]

Read this piece over the weekend and reminded me of the thread on this site on youth travel teams. Seems like there is more than one way to success, thought it would be interesting to get some comments from the previous posters on this topic.

I could be wrong, but Abby Steiner is an example of how the Norway system works, she came to UK as a soccer player, and switched to track as a soph or maybe even 3rd year in college, now she is part of the World champ 100M relay team. The article made sense to me, especially in Norway, which is socialistic system, where part of the goal is to encourage kids to be active and healthy throughout their life, whether or not you become a college athlete.


Norway doesn't keep score

 

[chroix]

Read this piece over the weekend and reminded me of the thread on this site on youth travel teams. Seems like there is more than one way to success, thought it would be interesting to get some comments from the previous posters on this topic.

I could be wrong, but Abby Steiner is an example of how the Norway system works, she came to UK as a soccer player, and switched to track as a soph or maybe even 3rd year in college, now she is part of the World champ 100M relay team. The article made sense to me, especially in Norway, which is socialistic system, where part of the goal is to encourage kids to be active and healthy throughout their life, whether or not you become a college athlete.


Norway doesn't keep score

It just sounds like it was here in the 70s and 80s. Also I’m glad I don’t have kids.

 

[gobigbluebell]

Active and healthy. That’s cute. If your goal is to crush your enemies, you will be active and healthy, plus you will CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES.

Fn Norway. Name some dominant Norwegians.

Abby Steiner came up in the AMERICAN system, and that’s a fact. Abby Steiner keeps score. Abby Steiner breaks records and wears titty jewelry.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Unfortunately in America we’re slowly seeing the capitalist system overtake everything. Once they figured out how to monetize youth sports what you’re seeing now started happening.

 

[Tskware]

I was saddened to read in the article how many kids quit by age 11 or 12, that was about the age that I just started playing baseball and golf.

On the TV this weekend, I watched a bit of the USGA Junior girls championship from Olde Stone (course looked in great shape, but hot as hell all weekend). They mentioned one of the competitors, who were 14 and 15 years old, at the tournament, practices putting three hours a day, then hits balls for a couple of hours, then goes and plays.
I don't see how that is (A) sustainable, you will hate golf by the time you are 20, if not sooner; and (B) healthy for any kid to spend that much time on such a singular purpose.

But . . . it is not my daughter, so hope she ends up happy.

 

[funKYcat75]

Norway? How many World Series have they won? How many Super Bowls? World Cup? If it’s not some of ice-d sport, they got nothing.

also

 

[Tskware]

Well, as the article says, Norway has produced a surprising number of world class athletes, with a population of 5.4 million people, about the size of metro San Diego. OTOH, China has a mere 1.5 billion or so, and US has 350 million or so.

Anyway, the issue is youth sports, and I don't have a dog in that fight.

 

[BlueBallz_rivals30790]

You don't HAVE to have your kids play club sports, there are many rec leagues and can play in a school setting.

 

[Catsfan29]

Norway? How many World Series have they won? How many Super Bowls? World Cup? If it’s not some of ice-d sport, they got nothing.

also

Norway has more medals per capita. US has over 60x the population but only 14x the medals. They must be doing something right.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

Socialism/Capitalism have nothing to do with the issue. It's crazy parents, period.

 

[CatsFanGG24]

Norway has more medals per capita. US has over 60x the population but only 14x the medals. They must be doing something right.

Would have to factor in how many US athletes get filtered out in the US trials.

Norway had 93 ptps in the 2020 Olympics. US had 613. (6.6x more than Norway)

Norway medaled 8, US medaled 113 (14.2x more than Norway)

 

[LineSkiCat14]

All I know is, whatever we've done with youth sports over the last decade or two.. it's become brutal on the parents. All of my older cousins, and anyone with a kid that's older than 4.. they just live on the sports fields. Every night. Rain or shine. Holiday coming up on a Monday? Oh the coaches are gonna take this opportunity for last minute practice. Can't make it? Guess your kid is going to fall behind.

I don't know how people do it. I'm excited to play sports with whatever children I wind up having, if I'm so lucky.. but damn, I am NOT looking forward to giving me life away to youth athletics.

 

[BlueBallz_rivals30790]

All I know is, whatever we've done with youth sports over the last decade or two.. it's become brutal on the parents. All of my older cousins, and anyone with a kid that's older than 4.. they just live on the sports fields. Every night. Rain or shine. Holiday coming up on a Monday? Oh the coaches are gonna take this opportunity for last minute practice. Can't make it? Guess your kid is going to fall behind.

I don't know how people do it. I'm excited to play sports with whatever children I wind up having, if I'm so lucky.. but damn, I am NOT looking forward to giving me life away to youth athletics.

My son played soccer from 3 yrs old to 12, 5-6 years playing in different clubs. On top of that, I coached my daughters basketball team for about 5 years. Our lives were pretty much committed to kids activities. My daughter got out of basketball (thank god I didn't have to deal with parents anymore) and my son was pretty burned out on soccer, but got into all the middle school sports, especially latching onto football, which is awesome. I don't regret any of it, it gave them structured activities, goals, etc. but I didn't force anything on them. My son had a path to college for soccer, but was done with it, but picked up other sports which I supported.

 

[Ukbrassowtipin]

The problem is you don't have multi sport athletes anymore...kids should play everything. I don't have kids but hear from parents how kids get burned out playing one thing all the time.

I'm not sure it's a capitalist/socialist model...China puts ppl in one sport from the beginning

 

[vhcat70]

Well, as the article says, Norway has produced a surprising number of world class athletes, with a population of 5.4 million people, about the size of metro San Diego. OTOH, China has a mere 1.5 billion or so, and US has 350 million or so.

Anyway, the issue is youth sports, and I don't have a dog in that fight.

They just produced the best young soccer star in the world: Erling Haaland. He was bought this summer by the best soccer team in the world: Man City. Oh yea, he scored his first goal ever for them at Lambeau.

 

[cole854]

You don't HAVE to have your kids play club sports, there are many rec leagues and can play in a school setting.

Yeah, but then parents will not be able to live vicariously thru their 10 year old's achievements during their 60 game summer schedule, while concocting the notion they are on their way to Ohtani status.

 

[wildcatsboston1984_rivals]

Active and healthy. That’s cute. If your goal is to crush your enemies, you will be active and healthy, plus you will CRUSH YOUR ENEMIES.

Fn Norway. Name some dominant Norwegians.

Abby Steiner came up in the AMERICAN system, and that’s a fact. Abby Steiner keeps score. Abby Steiner breaks records and wears titty jewelry.

Well they made it easy for you. Right on the first screen worth of text:

The final two events on the track Tuesday night at the World Athletics Championships at Oregon’s Hayward Field were the men’s 1,500 meters and men’s 400 hurdles.

That Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Karsten Warholm, both defending Olympic champions and ranked No. 1 in the world, didn’t win amounted to two of the biggest upsets of the 10-day meet. Ingebrigtsen was second in the 1,500, and Warholm led through eight of the 10 hurdles before fading to seventh with a bum hamstring.

Still, Ingebrigtsen and Warholm are two of the world’s greatest track stars.

One of the world’s top young soccer players? Erling Haaland.

The No. 5 men’s tennis player? Casper Ruud.


The No. 9 golfer? Viktor Hovland.

The reigning Olympic triathlon gold medalist and Ironman world-record holder? Kristian Blummenfelt.

The reigning Olympic champion beach volleyball team? Anders Mol and Christian Sorum.

Norway, Norway, Norway, Norway, Norway, Norway, Norway, Norway.
Coincidence? Luck? Fluke? A once-in-a-century vein of athletic talent?

Maybe not.

You know Norway as the winter sports juggernaut, topping the medal table by a comfortable margin at the last two Olympics and three if you subtract the doped-to-the-gills Russians in 2014. Makes sense.

 

[TortElvisII]

Well they made it easy for you. Right on the first screen worth of text:

Wi not trei a holiday in Sweeden this yer ?
See the loveli lakes
The wonderful telephone system
And mani interesting furry animals
Including the majestic moose
A moose once bit my sister...
No realli! She was Karving her initials on the moose with the sharpened end of an interspace toothbrush given her by Svenge—her brother-in-law— an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian movies: "The Hot Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Molars of Horst Nordfink"...
Mynd you, moose bites Kan be pretti nasti...

 

[Dr. H Lecter]

Read this piece over the weekend and reminded me of the thread on this site on youth travel teams. Seems like there is more than one way to success, thought it would be interesting to get some comments from the previous posters on this topic.

I could be wrong, but Abby Steiner is an example of how the Norway system works, she came to UK as a soccer player, and switched to track as a soph or maybe even 3rd year in college, now she is part of the World champ 100M relay team. The article made sense to me, especially in Norway, which is socialistic system, where part of the goal is to encourage kids to be active and healthy throughout their life, whether or not you become a college athlete.


Norway doesn't keep score

First, Norway is not Socialist. Just ask them.

As for the US system if you call it that....it preys on little kids through their insane parents. Baseball is the worst. Travel TBall for gawdsakes. Parents convinced their 6yo needs to specialize now or they wont make their HS team.

You have no idea how big you 6yo is going to be at 14 so you better let them play everything and then focus on 1 or 2 sports by HS. Its sad how many parents ruin it for their kids. Rec sports are dying. Little League is on life support. The kids you see on TV in the LLWS dont play little league. I could go on for days.

 

[ukcatz12]

Unfortunately in America we’re slowly seeing the capitalist system overtake everything. Once they figured out how to monetize youth sports what you’re seeing now started happening.

Capitalism is great if you can control it and stop it before it meets its inevitable conclusion. If left unchecked it will eventually consume everything we love. It's happening as we speak in college sports. The allure of the money and consolidation is too great if there are not checks in place, and pretty soon we're going to lose college basketball as we know it.