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PRIME PATH ATHLETICS
PPA PRO
Issue No. 21 · Week of September 14
OUR MISSION
Helping families spend their time, money, and trust on what actually moves their athlete forward.
THIS WEEK
Five pieces of advice we're revisiting a year later — the three roles for a football parent, the 70/30 rule, position flexibility, disappointment, and the relative age effect.
FOOTBALL
BASKETBALL
SOCCER
BASEBALL
SOFTBALL
CAMP SPOTLIGHT
Offense-Defense Mega Camp — Denver, CO
June 5–7, 2026 (2027 TBA)
Youth & HS — all positions · $599 day / $799 extended / $999 overnight
Registration OpenCAMP SPOTLIGHT
Breakthrough Basketball — Kansas City Weekly Shooting Clinic
Fall 2026
Youth/HS · Varies — verify at registration
Check WebsiteCAMP SPOTLIGHT
Coerver Gulf Coast First Skills Camp
Not in sources — verify
Ages 4–6 · $175
Check Local DatesCAMP SPOTLIGHT
Florida Gators Baseball Youth Summer Camp
Mid-July
Youth · $500 (lunch daily + 2 t-shirts)
Registration OpenCAMP SPOTLIGHT
Connect Sports — AFON College Camps
Not in sources — verify
HS prospects · Varies — verify at registration
Check WebsiteTrainer picks are pulled from the PPA Trainer Directory. Want to update your info? Claim your listing →
RECENT FROM PPA
Clips from this week's shorts and podcasts — links go live once published.
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Incredible Baserunning IQ: Escaping a Bases-Loaded Rundown (Youth Baseball Breakdown)
YouTube Short
10 Reasons Why Youth Sports Matter
Rotates every issue — sport-specific some weeks, big-picture others.
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01The best advice doesn't expire after one read.Every piece in this issue is something we published before and would publish again, word for word, a year later.
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02Three roles still beat trying to do everything.Resource-finder, academic overseer, social media steward — narrow, high-leverage, and still the right three a year on.
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03A 70/30 practice-to-game ratio is still the right question to ask.The research hasn't moved, and neither has the value of asking a program for a real, specific answer.
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04Position flexibility before U14 is still worth defending.A body that hasn't finished changing yet still shouldn't be locked into one permanent role.
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05Disappointment is still the athlete's to carry, not the parent's.A year of watching this play out across more seasons has only made the case stronger, not weaker.
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06A roster's birth months still tell a real story.The relative age effect doesn't go out of date — it resets every single season with a new set of birthdays.
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07Concussion research doesn't change because a season starts over.The same protective steps that mattered last year still matter exactly as much this year.
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08Loyalty still has real value most families underestimate.A season of watching more players get poached mid-career has only reinforced the original case for staying put.
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09A parent's conduct is still part of the recruiting evaluation.Nothing about how coaches watch parents in the stands has softened in the past year.
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10We ask the same question every time.What's actually worth paying for, and what isn't? Every PPA guide and every issue of this newsletter starts there.
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FUEL UP — MEAL PREP MEAL OF THE DAY
Turkey Chili Mac
Two family favorites in one bowl — chili and mac and cheese. Serves 6.
DIRECTIONS
- Brown ground turkey with onion and garlic in a large pot.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, and beans. Simmer 10 min.
- Cook elbow macaroni separately according to package directions; drain.
- Combine pasta into the chili, then stir in shredded cheese until melted.
- Divide into 6 containers.
- Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
GROCERY LIST
- 1.5 lbs ground turkey
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese