The Danger of Parents Raising Athletes Who Are Proverbial “Rabbits”
In the sport of track the idea of a “rabbit” is an informal term for the formal job of being a pacemaker in a long or middle-distance race. The job of a rabbit is to lead a pack of runners in the early part of a race. The rabbit gets the race off to a good start by giving the other runners someone to chase.
However, rabbits don’t actually finish the race. In fact, if they did try to finish the race rabbits would likely end up in last place. This is because rabbits get off to such a fast start it’s unsustainable.
Now think about this concept of a “rabbit” in terms of youth sports. There is always one young athlete who competes more, trains more, and wins more than everyone else. This young athlete is deservingly the talk of the town. He or she is the best of the best. What’s more, that athlete is also serving as the proverbial rabbit for their peer group.
The truth is, young athletes who compete more and train more in one sport are also more likely to develop long term injuries. In addition, putting injuries aside, it takes a special kid who enjoys the attention and pressure of being the best of the best from a young age. Getting chased by peers as they use your child’s success as motivation to work harder is not always fun.
History proves that youth success never predicts long term success. History also proves that a child who is a high achiever early in life has a tougher path to achieving long term success than their peers. It may temporarily feel better to raise a child that sets the pace as the rabbit in their age group. But will it be worth it?