Jeff Purdom

Me: World record, 72 hot dogs in 10 minutes Joey Chestnut. 5YO: Why? Wise beyond his years.

I mean, wow

Norway consistently wins the most medals at the Winter Olympic Games, with a population of just 5.6 million people. A big part of their success is how they treat youth sports—and it’s the opposite of what we do in the US. Here’s what we can learn from Norway: 1. Scorekeeping: In the US: Youth sports tend to be hyper competitive even at early ages. Leagues almost always keep score. In Norway: Scorekeeping isn’t even allowed until age 13. Removing winners and losers keeps the focus on the process not outcomes. It keeps kids engaged longer because it minimizes pressure (and tears) and maximizes fun, learning, and growth. The goal isn’t to win a third grade championship. It’s to love sport and keep playing. 2. Trophies: In the US: If you give everyone a trophy, you’re creating snowflakes who will never gain a competitive edge. In Norway: Whenever trophies are awarded, they are handed out to everyone. If getting a trophy makes young kids feel good, we should give them trophies. Maybe they’ll come back and play again next year!! As for the creation of snowflakes with no competitive edge—Norway’s athletes are tough as nails and all they do is win. 3. Prioritizing Fun: In the US: Far too often, the goal is to win. In Norway: The national philosophy is “joy of sport.” Youth sports in the US are driven by adults, ego, and money. Youth sports in Norway are driven by fun. Only half of kids in the US participate in sports. The number one reason they drop out: because they aren’t having fun anymore. In Norway, 93% of kids participate in youth sports. Fun is the foremost goal. 4. Playing Multiple Sports: In the US: There’s pressure to specialize early and play your best sport year round. In Norway: Try as many sports as you can before specializing as late as college. Norway encourages kids to try all types of sport. This reduces injury and burnout and increases all-around athleticism. It also helps promotes match quality, or finding the sport you are best suited for as your body develops, which is impossible if you commit to a single sport too early. 5. Affordability In the US: There is increasingly a pay-to-play model with high fees for leagues, equipment, and travel. This excludes many kids from playing. In Norway: It’s a national priority to keep youth sports affordable and therefore accessible for all. Kids aren’t priced out, which creates opportunities for everyone to participate (and develop into athletes), regardless of their parents’ income level. We could learn a lot from Norway: In the US, 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13. This not only diminishes an elite-athlete pipeline, but it also destroys an opportunity for healthy habits and all the character lessons kids can learn from sport. In Norway, lifelong participation in sport is the norm. The goal isn’t to have the best 9U team. It’s to develop the best athletes. Those are two very different things. And Norway has the gold medals to prove it.

Someone has played the original Techmo Bowl. #ExtremeDropBack

@reEVOLUTIONath I am adding sauna 3 days a week, trying to go right after my run.

I do think sauna post-workout is a cheat code. The spike in HR during the sauna was water on the rocks. Couldn’t get the HR back down from 2 spoonfuls of water!

Tate to Holloway. Fifty-six yards. No time left. HAWKS WIN!!

@davidmellyruns Not to mention that IU basketball was mentioned for the first time this season. Small town Indiana would have been hoops obsessed in the 1980s.

Stranger Things is honestly so unrealistic because at no point during the entire series does any character say “Did you see the news? Joan Benoit just ran one helluva marathon!”

@Predamame What is it *overtraining for?

Is your fridge running? Oh nice! What’s it training for?

Some people may use Maurten, I am thinking I may go Walgreens for my next race.

Who posts their @Strava Year in Review before their run on December 31st? Why?

Just wait until they play the Vikings...I mean the Steelers...I mean the Eagles... 9-3 1st place Chicago Bears!

@CptBuffaloney At least I would have been smooth.

@jpurdom Hopefully you didn’t get run over by a Zamboni 🙏 that would be a bad way to go

I’m sorry but you must know that we can’t have a serious conversation about running if you’ve never run on a track with a Zamboni crossing.

@HFJumps What would your life be like being the most athletic person of all time? Wild.

Best story you will hear today!

We’re training a generation to fear failure. Not because they’re soft or lazy, because everything they do is on display. Every test score, every game, every rejection lives forever online. When life becomes performative, failure feels like a public referendum on your worth.

Come on Cubbies!!!!!

I don't a sign would stop them.

Harry Styles would probably run faster in a point-to-point marathon. He’s better in one direction.

@jawnlester Hated seeing a locker room celebration.

@jpurdom Calm down buddy it’s just the wild card “series”