Walk it Off: Taking Advantage of Passion in Youth Athletics

Abstract

Youth athletics often subscribes to a "walk-it-off" culture that priorities a players output over their health. This has caused kids to stray away from recreational sports in recent years. The culture of always performing to advance up the food chain and putting a focus on the gain of the ones in charge have led kids to lose the passion and drive to participate. This long form, print piece looks at numbers regarding youth athletic injuries, coaching methods, and first hand accounts from players, coaches, and athletic trainers; all centralized around pushing players too far.