"It’s just hard": Tom Brady once delivered an eye-opening take on raising kids in competitive sports environment

Former New England Patriots QB Tom Brady was invited to an interview with WEEI radio in October 2015. During the interview, Brady acknowledged the importance of youth sports and the hunt to probably find the next Joe Montana or Babe Ruth.

However, Brady believes that the youth sports have changed now, since there were barely any travel teams in his time. Hence, only the top kids got an opportunity to play in those teams. However, the same competitiveness has also exerted unnecessary pressure upon kids these days.

He continued, “It's just hard, because all the parents are doing it, it seems, and the competition feels like it starts so early for these kids, whether it's to get into college or getting into the right high school or the right elementary school. I don't know how it's taken that turn, but you know, sometimes it's nice for kids to just be kids."

Tom Brady wishes his children to be late bloomers in life

Brady’s caution reflects his keen eye on the sports world as he understands the ill effects of high expectations and overexposure. Since he was also a parent of three by then, he could relate to the parents exerting the pressure of expectations on their children. Hence, Brady feels that the kids should be allowed to venture into different sports till they mature.

“It's just different now, and I'm experiencing it with my own kids with all the organized activities that you put them in. I've made a comment for a while now: 'I hope my kids are late bloomers in whatever they do.'”

Brady himself is considered a late bloomer, not realizing his full potential until becoming an accidental starter in 2002 under Bill Belichick. But he takes pride in his title of a ‘late bloomer’ and also suggests young aspirants try different sports in their early days. Brady even gave the example of his childhood and how he grew up playing multiple sports.

“My parents always exposed us to different things, different sports. It was basketball when it was basketball season. It was baseball when it was baseball season. I didn't play football until I was a freshman in high school. A lot of soccer.”

There may be some truth to Brady’s statement, as the current Kansas City Chiefs QB, Patrick Mahomes, has a similar background. Mahomes too played multiple sports during his childhood before settling on football just two years before his NFL draft.