Birdies & Blades - Developing A Junior Athlete

This week, we take a different path.

Instead of breaking down tour storylines and leaderboard drama, we shift the focus to something that matters far beyond a single season — junior athlete development.

As parents and coaches involved in both golf and hockey, we’ve seen firsthand how the principles that shape young athletes on the links and in the rinks are remarkably similar. Drawing from our own experiences — certifications, coaching backgrounds, and years in competitive environments — we explore what actually helps kids build a healthy, lasting relationship with sport.

Inspired by comments from Tiger Woods about growing up with his dad — “It was always competitive, and it was always fun” — we unpack two critical elements of development: competition and enjoyment. Can they coexist? Should they? And how do we get the balance right?

We dig into:

Why physical literacy and multi-sport participation build better long-term athletes

The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) framework and why biological age matters more than birth year

The risks of early specialization

The powerful dynamic between athlete, coach, and parent.

This conversation isn’t about raising the next tour player or NHL star. It’s about raising resilient, confident young people who love to compete — and who love the game.

Because when it’s competitive and fun, kids don’t just perform better.

They stay.

Episode presented by GolfPEI, with show support by Metcalfe Golf and Falcon Ridge Golf Club.

Music by: https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License certificate #: 2227748