There is one thing I’m working on driving home with our 13u teams, that is the compounding effect of drive and work ethic. 13u is a pivotal age. It starts introducing the fork in the road scenario for many where action starts meeting intention. 

We have 2 teams and about 22 kids at 13u. If asked who wants to play in high school, everyone will raise their hands. They have every intention to play at the next level. But they are also faced with some reality, especially as they start stepping foot on the 60/90 field. That reality is, so do many other kids. There are a lot of kids within a grade level up or down that play the same position as every single kid. I am telling them, if they want to ensure that they make the next level, they have to outwork the other kids not just in their grade, but the ones above and below them. When they are juniors, they will have to beat out a senior and ensure a sophomore or freshman doesn’t take their spot. Now we want them to still have that whimsical love of the game, but the game requires a high degree of skill. This is an acquired skill that takes a ton of reps over a long period of time. We are here to have them look at themselves in the mirror, ask the tough questions, and hold them accountable. They know the ball is in their court and they have to outwork others. 

Development is not always linear and every kid has his own timeline. 13u is the age where kids’ start understanding the difference between intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation. I don’t care what team they play for, what skill level they are, and how many tournament rings they have. I care about THEM as a person and want them to find satisfaction in working hard for themselves so they can achieve their goal. I care that their actions match their intentions.