Want it all, or keep growing
Youth wants everything. But is everything sustainable?
Motivation among young riders is often high.
They want to train a lot.
Ride multiple disciplines.
Race competitions.
Get better.
And preferably see results as quickly as possible.
That drive is understandable. Ambition is a beautiful thing.
But there is a question we keep asking ourselves at Youngchampions®:
Is everything that is possible also sustainable?
Enthusiasm needs direction
That young athletes “want everything” usually doesn’t come from pressure, but from enthusiasm.
Cycling is fun. Improving feels good. New challenges give energy.
That in itself is not a problem.
It only becomes a point of attention when everything has to happen at once,
without taking long-term development into account.
Development doesn’t stop after one season
In youth sport, the focus is often on the here and now:
this race
this season
this result
But real development takes place over years, not months.
What seems like a lot today can later make the difference between continuing to grow or dropping out.
We see young riders who progress quickly, but also burn out quickly.
And we see young riders who stand out less at first, but keep growing — physically and mentally.
Body and mind are still developing
Young riders are not small adults.
Their bodies are still growing, and their mental resilience still needs to develop.
Yet we sometimes see youth being treated as if they already have to perform like professionals.
Training is based on what is possible right now,
without sufficient consideration for what still needs to grow.
We hear the term “squeezing everything out” more and more when talking about youth.
What can be done now, doesn’t have to be done now.
And what is forced today can come at a cost later.
What we see in practice
We all recognize it.
Young riders who lead the pack and stand out at an early age.
But as they grow older and fully develop,
they often can’t maintain that level anymore.
The stretch is gone.
At the same time, we also see youth who stand out less in the early years,
but who are trained in a sustainable way.
Where there is room for recovery, enjoyment, and gradual progression.
With these riders, growth potential remains —
and that is exactly what makes the difference later on.
Sustainable development is not a brake on ambition
Sustainable development does not mean wanting less.
It means looking further ahead.
Not everything at once.
Not always at maximum intensity.
But continuing to build,
so that motivation, enjoyment, and development are preserved.
Ambition that lasts for many years
is stronger than ambition that wants everything in a single season.
Not selecting only the “gems”
At Youngchampions®, we don’t focus only on the so-called “gems.”
To us, everyone is a gem.
Every child deserves attention, time, and guidance,
regardless of level, results, or the speed of their development.
We don’t believe in early selection or labeling.
We believe in giving opportunities, allowing growth, and trusting the process.
Every child needs a personal approach
No two children are the same.
Not physically. Not mentally. Not in pace, load capacity, or motivation.
That’s why there is no standard route for development.
Sustainable development means looking at the individual:
what someone needs, when something fits — and when it doesn’t yet.
That takes time.
A lot of time.
Time to observe.
Time to adjust.
Time to have conversations with the rider and their environment.
That time is often invisible.
And usually unpaid.
But without that time, sustainable development simply does not exist.
Guidance driven by passion for the journey
Individual development is not an efficient process.
It can’t be captured in schedules or fixed formats.
It is only possible when it is carried by passion.
Passion for the sport.
And above all: passion for the person behind the rider.
At Youngchampions®, we consciously choose this path.
Because we believe that true development does not arise from pressure or quick wins,
but from attention, trust, and time.
The question that matters most to us
The most important question is not:
“How much can a child handle?”
But:
“How long does a child want to keep doing this?”
At Youngchampions®, we don’t just look at today or tomorrow,
but at the years ahead.
Because development is not a sprint —
it is a journey.
This is how we at Youngchampions® look at youth and development.
Not as a truth, but as a vision.
