Define Elite

‍“Elite is a dangerous word because what is it? Like, what is it by definition?”

‍Those questions, posed by veteran sports agent Ross Gurney, cut to the heart of the egregious overuse and misuse of that five-letter word in our current youth sports environment.

‍Elite teams. ‍ ‍

Elite training.‍ ‍

Elite coaching.

Elite programs. ‍

In fact, it’s used so often that it begs the question: What does “elite” really mean?

‍In a literal sense, dictionary defines elite as both an adjective and a noun.

Elite (adj) – superior in quality, rank or skill ‍

Elite (noun) - a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence

I would suggest to you that while the use of the word ELITE in the context of youth sports is often intended to be an adjective, we have created a system whereby we have moved much closer to the word being applied as a noun. If a child makes an “elite” team or enrols with an “elite” coach or program, then it’s very easy to infer that the child themself is elite.

And yet… if multiple teams, coaches, and programs in multiple towns in multiple regions in multiple countries are attaching the word to their offerings, have they unwittingly removed any tangible meaning from what constitutes elite?

Sports Agent Ross Gurney has concerns about how “elite” is used in youth sports

“I agree with you, the word elite is thrown around way too easily,” laments Gurney. “And it's thrown around within a jurisdiction that is very small because we only know the space that we're watching, and the world is a very big place. So, an elite kid in the lower mainland might not be an elite kid in the province, who might not be an elite kid nationally, who might not be an elite kid internationally. And as we grow that pie, I think the definition of elite almost becomes obscured because it just looks foolish.”

Pay to Play

In fact, elite has evolved to become a price point more so than a representation of skill or quality. Slap the word elite next to this year’s select team or the development session being advertised, and the fact is, you can charge more. Parents, begrudgingly or not, hand over the additional dollars out of pride in their child’s achievement, out of natural obligation to provide their child the best opportunity they can, and out of a desire to keep up with the peer group that has been established among the “elite”.

“Any programs like that require money, right? They look for the best players, of course, but the best players that can afford to be in those programs,” says Ray Ferraro, an 18-year NHL veteran and award-winning broadcaster.

That’s not selection based on athletic ability or current prowess alone. That’s selection based on financial table stakes as a prerequisite. That’s not to say that every child chosen is unworthy of selection in these situations, but excluding those who can not afford the steep entry fee to such environments without any disclosure certainly misrepresents the interpretation of the word “elite” within the context of sport.     

It also distorts the expectations of many parents who either have or borrow the funds to participate. It’s logical to believe that qualifying for an “elite” team or camp means the child is on the pathway to what is actually elite in sport: top level athletics as a young adult (in rare cases as a teenager in specific sports). Once expectations are misaligned with reality, someone is going to be disappointed.

The Early Birds Get Confirmed

What gets classified as elite at a very young age often has more to do with exposure and age than it does high-end ability. Children who have relatively advanced skill sets in sports are often those who have far more experience than their peers, have grown early, or are simply older based on early birth dates. 

Author Malcolm Gladwell was among the first to make these patterns well known throughout society with books like Outliers. That’s where Ferraro first became aware of this variable in the selection and development process, and he’s since witnessed it in many youth sports systems.  

“One of the reasons is in these programs termed elite, the early births of a year most often get selected,” Ferraro explains. “They're often the most physically mature kids. When they get selected, they get preferred practice times, they get more ice or field time. They develop, but really they're just developing from an advanced maturity standpoint.”

Ray Ferraro during his appearance on Better Sports Parents

As Ferraro points out, in many sports we double down on our early selection decisions by providing those we’ve selected with greater resources than those who were not chosen. Two or three years later, we confirm that we were “correct” in our selection because the vast majority of those chosen are still more skilled than their peers. It’s not really that surprising when you consider they’ve logged far more hours and been afforded better coaching and conditions than those not originally selected.

“When you hear a term late bloomer, a lot of times it's like physically it took them that long to catch up. And, it's not like if I'm six months older than you… who cares? But six months older to an eight year-old is an enormity,” Ferraro continues. “So why are we rewarding physical and mental maturity with an elite program when really it's just about your kid’s older? Those kids aren't, for the most part, as elite as you might think. They're in a lot of ways more mature physically, mentally, and it does make a real difference.”

Warning: Labels

Another unintended consequence of classifying these select teams as elite is the adoption of the term by the players themselves. If a child makes an elite team, then they must be elite players, no? That term can quickly become more than a descriptor for the team name or the lettering stitched onto a player’s jacket. It can become part of a child’s identity: I am an elite [INSERT SPORT HERE] player.

For that season, in that sport, in that community, it may be true. For an extremely small number of young players, the description will be accurate throughout their athletic journeys. But the majority of pre-pubescent high achievers get caught by the field when growth and experience begin to even out, which in itself isn’t an issue. However, if a child’s identity and self-worth are too closely intertwined with the results they achieve in a sport, what happens when the results don’t align with the label?      

“I think it's a detriment. I think it's misleading,” states Ferraro when asked about branding very young athletes as elite. “And I think the disappointment the kids feel when they realize that they're not elite… you know, they're termed elite at 8 and by 12, what are they? They're not good anymore because somebody has termed them elite at 8?”

To be clear, many professional and Olympic athletes struggle with this loss of identity… and they have fully developed brains. If we aren’t clear and deliberate about separating a child’s value as a person from what they achieve in a sport, we’re setting them up to grapple with complex identity issues at a time when they’re already navigating the challenge figuring out who they are in adolescence.  

Elite Deceit?

So are coaches and organizations trying to intentionally deceive parents and children by branding their offerings as elite? In most cases, no. They’re simply attempting to elevate their services in the minds of potential customers. Most truly believe they are providing a better experience and opportunity for the children they serve.

As for parents, most are doing exactly what the system is telling them to do in providing the best opportunity for their children to excel in a sport they enjoy. What constitutes the best opportunity certainly depends on the desired outcome, but children who display early aptitude in a sport are most often directed toward the highest level of competition available. Many sports begin selection early, their systems provide greater resources at top levels, and people naturally follow these rewards.

Unfortunately, the word elite has become an overused and inaccurate marketing tool in youth sports and beyond. Context matters, it is rarely disclosed, and the grey area it creates is effective in drawing attention in a competitive market. If we don’t openly state the parameters of comparison, we can term almost anything elite.

Remember: as an adjective, elite is defined as “superior in quality, rank or skill”.

Asking yourself the question, “Compared to what?” when talking about players who still need help tying their shoes or skates might save you and your child a lot of unnecessary time, money, and anxiety.