Is your child playing the “long game”?

I stumbled upon this Kobe Bryant quote, and his take on youth athletic development really caught my attention:

“When I’d play, I’d play to my weaknesses…

In competition situations, you’re only playing to your strengths. Why?

Because you want to win… I would work on the things during those summer games that I was weak at.”

Kobe’s point is clear: playing more games does not lead to rapid growth.

It’s like learning math— you dont get better at math by taking more tests alone.

You get better by PRACTICING specific math problems in preparation for an upcoming test.

The same applies to youth sports.

Playing more games won’t necessarily correlate with rapid skill improvement.

Why?

Because in games, kids play to win, sticking to their strengths. They aren’t challenging themselves to improve their weaknesses.

For example: if a youth pitcher struggles with a new delivery, they will never fully do it in the game. A hitter working on a new stance will rarely repeat it every pitch in a game.

Why?

Because of the pressure to perform and win, they revert back to what will make them successful in that moment. (short game)

This means they aren’t improving in the areas that really matter. (long game)

Growth happens through focused, intentional practice, addressing areas for growth, not just playing more games.

When I see programs that practice once a week and play 3-5 games on the weekend or rec leagues that jump right into gameplay without practice, I know those players aren’t developing in the right way.

They’re playing the short game.

Now here’s the truth that’s often overlooked:

Before varsity high school baseball, winning literally DOES NOT matter.

There’s no argument that says winning matters in youth baseball.

What does matter is developing kids’ skills enough that they enjoy the game, fall in love with it, and want to continue after Little League at age 13—when the game becomes substantially more challenging as the field size increases.

That’s what the long game is all about.

It’s not about competition and winning at this stage—it’s about development and fun!

If we can instill a love of the game, they’ll be more open to facing the variety of competitive challenges ahead when they’re older.

This winter, we’re focusing on exactly that—giving players the chance to do a deep dive into their developmental areas of need, with intentional practice and high-level training.

Help your child play the long game!

Sign up today for winter programs that prioritize growth and development.

I hope you found this reflection interesting.

And hope to see you this winter for one of our programs!

In your corner,

David “Captain Fun” Klein

PS. If your child’s program design offers more games than practices, forward this to them as food for thought ;)