"For most of the season we've had 7-8 starters out with injuries. Our kids don't train at all, they just endlessly play the game."

These are the words of a varsity high school coach, one who has been imploring his team to develop a more well rounded athletic profile.

He and I discussed, throughout the summer, how critical it was for his talented group to balance their athletic profile.

Not for our sake, but for the kids themselves.

The message didn't connect, and the result has been a lost season.

Worse, some of those injuries will linger beyond fall, unnecessarily derailing promising careers.

The thing is, this was all too predictable a few months ago.

Because when you overdo one aspect of a thing, and neglect others, problems arise nearly every single time.

This truth isn't unlike any other part of our lives.

Focus all of your meals on eating protein, without concern for other key nutrients, and your health suffers.

Spend all your time at work, neglecting family and your own health, and your life suffers.

Play your sport year round, with no regard for the other elements of becoming a complete athlete, and your career suffers.

This happens far too often, but I firmly believe it's not parents fault...

or the coaches...

or even the players.

It's the system, the pressure everyone now feels to keep up.

But the funny thing is, it's those who break free of today's conventional wisdom that are thriving.

They get injured less.

Their game is better suited for the next level.

Making these athletes far more likely to achieve their dreams.

You do this by developing all 4 quadrants of what it takes to be a complete athlete.

One who can answer YES to most of these questions.

Quadrant 1 - Playing The Sport

Are your skills strong enough to play the game at a high level?

Do you play even better in a team setting, thanks to a deep understanding of the game and your role in it?

Do you love the sport enough to keep pushing, to make the sacrifices needed to thrive?

Quadrant 2 - Physical Development

Are you fast enough to complete with the very best?

Do you have the size and strength to consistently battle and win?

Can you play hard throughout the match, or does your energy fade?

Quadrant 3 - Longevity

Are you consistently geting enough sleep to grow and recover over time?

Does your nutrition provide you with the energy and nutrients to stay lean and play great?

Do you utilize recovery tactics - stretching, massage, low impact exercise, enjoyable time away from the game - to be at your best over the long haul?

Quadrant 4 - Mindset

What do you say to yourself when confronted with a challenge or setback? Is it positive?

When things look bleak, do you continue to push forward with your best effort?

How well do you focus on the things that matter, in games, practices and training, while blocking out everything else that doesn't?

For athletes with dreams of future success, you should have a clear sense of how you'd honestly answer each question above.

Congratulate yourself on the YES answers, because each requires effort to achieve.

But also be mindful of the NO's.

After all, very few athletes, at any level, are truly great at all 12.

The ones who do stand out, in the end, are the ones who realized where their shortcomings were, and they worked to fix them.

They don't hide behind their strengths, or complain they are too busy to get the job done.

They just go out and do it.

Because if they don't, they know their competition will one day point it out for them, when it's too late to do anything about it.