It's also well-documented that this leads to a long list of injuries down the line. At best, this means your athleticism and creativity of mind and body will be capped out. At worst, it means dehabilitating injuries until a major injury results in surgery.

Sports are not supposed to be just "work, work, work". If you don't love it, it's not sustainable. Have fun and explore the moment.

Even if you are already in high school or much older, it is still a smart idea to use rest days or your off-season as a time to take a rest off football and explore other sports and activities.

These other sports give your brain a bit of new information that will expand your movement vocabulary. When you come back to football, there will be a newfound feeling of athleticism as your body finds it easier to move.

I myself grew up playing a lot of tennis. Even though I chose to pursue football, a lot of the lateral movements of tennis made me a very good defender because I could shuffle effortlessly and intercept passes most others couldn't.

Different sports give your body more tools in the toolbox. This is expanding your movement vocabulary. This is a major reason why I'm such a good defender. I learned lateral movement in tennis which translates over to defending a lot.

• Cool tip: get a few tennis or golf balls and learn to juggle with your hands. after teaching myself this and doing it for 5 minutes before training and games, I had a newfound SHARPNESS of my touch and my passes.

Birth & Early childhood (Age 0-8)

These is the time where the Natural builds the early connections that set the stage for future growth. They are out in Nature, exploring the world and their body.  

Middle Childhood (8-13)

This is a journey of self-discovery. They are trying different sports and learning what works and what doesn't.

Late Childhood (13-18)

This is where the body hits puberty and truly begins to grow. This is where you see who is the Natural, and who is not.

Young Adult (18-22)

By this time, the Natural will likely already be professional and excelling. Now the Game takes center stage as they test themselves against the best.

Prime (22+)

Now they are fully developed. This is in a perfect world where no injuries might have happened, and there are no human inventions hampering the Natural's ability. That is unlikely.

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