Friday Next Step/Perspective- Follow-up · Parents of athletes Community

Marc Nolan

Dec '25 • General discussion

Friday Next Step/Perspective- Follow-up

⚠️ A Pattern I See Every Year — Across All Sports

Over the past few days, a couple of parents shared feedback their athletes received at national-level camps.

The comment was familiar:

“Your son/daughter looks good… but they need to get bigger, faster, stronger.”

Here’s the part I want every parent to really sit with:

👉 This is the same message many private coaches deliver all year👉 But it doesn’t fully land until a national evaluator says it

That tells me the issue isn’t effort — it’s understanding the timing.

What Parents Don’t See Behind the Scenes

One thing many families don’t realize is that feedback from national camps rarely starts on the field or in the court or on the pitch, and no matter the Sport this is the NEW reality especially since your athletes is now competing against not just their peers that are getting bigger faster and stronger- but because of the Transfer portal and the size and maturity of those 20 something athletes.

Long before those events, coaches and evaluators are already discussing:

Where an athlete is physically
What phase of development they’re in
What gaps still need time, not reps

When I communicate with national evaluators, the feedback they share with me privately often mirrors what parents hear publicly at the camp — especially around strength, speed, and physical readiness.

That consistency isn’t an accident.

The Real Separator Is When You Train

Right now, families usually fall into one of two buckets:

1️⃣ Athletes coming OFF a fall season

This is the prime window to:

Build muscle
Improve strength
Dial in nutrition
Fix physical gaps that don’t show up during games

2️⃣ Athletes entering the IN-season of their next sport

This is not the time to chase size It is the time to:

Maintain strength
Stay explosive
Fuel recovery
Avoid mid-season breakdowns

Same goal.Different plan.

Why This Impacts Rankings, Evaluations & Confidence

When athletes stall on charts or evaluations, it’s rarely about:

Talent
Desire
Work ethic

It’s usually because:❌ Strength work didn’t match the season❌ Nutrition wasn’t supporting growth or recovery❌ The body wasn’t prepared at the right time

No camp fixes that in one weekend.

Why We Built Structured Guides

These guides weren’t thrown together — they were built with input from coaches who’ve spent decades in performance and nutrition, including Al Vaughan, the only 11-time Mr. Universe, who at 74 is still a world-class bodybuilder.

The goal was simple:

Help parents answer “What should we be doing right now?”

Quick Check-In

What phase is your athlete in right now?