In 1986, kids moved by default.
In 2026, kids have to be given permission, space, and structure just to move.
Back then:
Walked or biked everywhere
Recess was long and unsupervised
Neighborhoods were the playground
Boredom = movement
Now:
Car rides door-to-door
Shortened or lost recess
Screens replace exploration
Movement is “extra,” not assumed
The scary part isn’t that kids don’t want to move — it’s that the environment quietly removed the need to.
Which means:
Athletic development today isn’t about creating better athletes.
It’s about restoring what used to happen naturally.
Or said another way:
Kids haven’t changed. The world around them has — and movement paid the price.