News

Ryan: The troubling truth behind youth sports development

Published

2 years ago

Sep 16, 2024

Recently, First Tee released a report titled “Cultivating the Next Generation of Character: Quantifying the Impact of Extracurriculars, Including Sports, on Youth Development.” The data, collected by the Harris Poll, surveyed 2,049 parents online, including 498 parents of children under 18, from April 5-9, 2024.

On the surface, these results may seem promising—parents who enjoy sports believe they are a healthy outlet for their children. Looking at the numbers, I can’t help but feel nostalgic. Sports have always been a huge part of my life, and it’s clear these parents feel the same way. However, it’s critical to recognize that the data is self-reported through an online survey. This means it’s likely—but not certain—that those who participated already had a bias toward sports.

But before we dive into the good news, let’s address the bad news—and there’s plenty to unpack.

First, let’s talk about the title and the underlying science—or lack thereof. The concept of Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) is one of those buzzwords that sound impressive but, in reality, is more of a marketing gimmick than a scientific truth. LTAD originated in the mid-1950s when Eastern Bloc countries, led by the former Soviet Union, established sports schools that dominated international competitions until the early 1970s. Then, Istvan Balyi, a sports scientist from British Columbia’s National Coaching Institute, introduced a four-stage training model: FUNdamentals, Training to Train, Training to Compete, and Training to Win. This framework was designed to address both performance and participation paths in sports. Unfortunately, while it sounds impressive, it is nothing more than a catchphrase used by charlatans to exploit parents.

The first notable finding of the survey is that parents actively seek coaches who not only elevate their child’s skills but also impart personal values. This notion is rooted in well-established science. Self-determination theory tells us that humans have basic needs and that people naturally seek praise. It’s clear that praise from a coach can positively impact a child. But the emerging question is: at what cost? When we praise children for their athletic development, we simultaneously send messages about the importance of sportsmanship and academics. These messages can easily become conflated, making it difficult for coaches—who are often not licensed psychologists—to navigate this complex landscape.

The report’s Section 4, titled *”Thanks, Coach,”* is where things take a darker turn. Here, parents list the life skills their children supposedly learned from a coach. Some of the numbers include:

45% learned honesty
42% learned work ethic
39% learned creativity
34% learned open-mindedness
23% learned curiosity

Graphic via First Tee

Hold on a second — what? And to top it off, only 63 percent of parents say their kids learned character from youth sports. That statistic is chilling, scary, disheartening, and deeply troubling.

These findings reinforce some of my recent work. From my experience, there is no factual debate that youth golf is an area where underwhelming, unscrupulous coaches use the guise of practice and grit to engage parents in a social conditioning program gone way wrong.

The reality is, people love sports. They want their kids to have the same experiences they did. But the evidence paints a different picture — one where the promises of youth sports are more myth than reality. Sports science, driven by the constructs of practice and grit, is often nothing more than junk science. When combined with greedy coaches and clueless organizations like First Tee, the result is a system that fails to deliver on its promises.

It’s sad. But if we’re being honest, it’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed by Featured Writers do not reflect those of GolfWRX.com or its employees.

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.