Dear Athletics: We Have A Problem
There is a major problem in athletics that has plagued athletes for several decades now. It is a problem experienced by almost every high level, exceptionally talented, ambitious student athlete. Take note of that last sentence. This is not about athletes who just “dabble” in sports, but for those athletes who are really good at what they do. Here is the major problem: Being an athlete is what you do, it is not who you are. When I was a young athlete there was a recurring story loop that was always playing in my head like a broken record. It said, “you are the athlete, you are the athlete, you are the athlete” because this is what I constantly heard from friends and family. So, what did I believe about myself? “I’m just an athlete. That’s all I’m good at.” My story is far from rare.
At Platt-Form Performance Coaching, we believe you are more than an athlete and one of the areas we focus on is helping you discover what that “more” is through our D.A.D. (Discover and Develop) Principle. We help you discover and develop other skills and talents that are unique to you, not just athleticism. The athlete identity crisis is real, and this process, combined with proper mentoring, is the solution. What I have created at Platt-Form is a systematic approach to attacking this problem firsthand.
Too many of our most talented athletes are left depressed, dejected, and drifting after high school and/or college. Time is lost, confidence is crushed, and potential is wasted. Thousands upon thousands (including me) have been failed by a broken system. Their dreams shattered by a singular focus on being the best athlete. We must first develop them to become better people, better students, and lastly better athletes. This is how you “raise your game” in each area of life. We can no longer accept this lack of COMPLETE athlete development. The current approach is incomplete and is leaving many to face a harsh reality after their playing days are over. And we cannot just leave this responsibility to the athletes, their parents, or the school system. That has been proven to not work for many, if not most. This is a job for personal development experts!
That is where we come in. At Platt-Form Performance Coaching, our mission is “No Athlete Left Behind!” We do not accept athletes getting left behind without the proper tools and resources to lead a successful life after sports, or even life during sports. To us, that is unacceptable! Obviously, the goal is to be an athlete as long as possible and to make your athletic dreams into a reality, but for many that comes a lot sooner than others. Our goal is to serve both ends of that spectrum. With the proper mentoring in place and with the right timing, we can accomplish this goal successfully and save a lot of athletes from the struggle and heartbreak that many before them have experienced.
As previously mentioned, this will take a thoughtful, focused, and systematic approach, which I have developed with Platt-Form Performance Coaching. Gone are the days of the athlete identity crisis and the total lack of student-athlete mentoring. With our help, those are problems of the past. It is time to give our student-athlete the COMPLETE development that they deserve! Leave that pain in the past and step into the future of complete student-athlete development with Platt-Form Performance Coaching!
It’s time for the world of athletics to “raise your game” and leave “no athlete left behind!”