Behind the Seams III | Page 38

in both aspects and, most importantly, be true to themselves. "Parents are going to have to look themselves in the mirror and self-analyze," he said. Dr. John’s father — who understands what it takes to succeed in the big leagues — believes this requires first listening to experts. John will ask parents a line of questions: "Who is the best pitcher in the game?" To which they will typically respond with (Madison) Bumgarner or Kershaw. "Do they pitch year-round? When the season is over, do they go right back into training for the next season?" The answer is, of course, no. Finally, Dr. John lays down what should be the hammer for parents concerned about the well-being of their kids: "So, if the best in the world need to rest, don’t you think [your child] needs to rest even more?" In his book, Dr. John writes of a performance pyramid that he believes will enable youth athletes to succeed and stay healthy. The pyramid is built on functional movement as the stable base, holding up functional performance (adding resistance to functional movement)