Wisdom Under the Bar - Part 2: Movement, Play & Longevity

Mighty Oak Athletic Podcast S2:E58 - Wisdom Under the Bar - Part 2: Movement, Play & Longevity

We spend a lot of time training teams at Mighty Oak Athletic.

They come in together — same sport, same age, same drive.

They follow the same program, lift together, log their progress, and push each other to go heavier, faster, and sharper.

It’s structured, focused, and disciplined.

The music’s on, the weights are clanging, and the energy is contagious.

Every set counts.

Every rep matters.

That environment builds confidence and camaraderie.

But it’s also intense — especially for athletes who already have full practice and game schedules.

For some of them, training, homework, and competition blur into one long routine.

That’s why we build something different into every team session.

We call it playtime.

It’s the part of training that isn’t written on the board.

It’s not tracked in their app.

And it’s not graded on a leaderboard.

It’s their reward for the hard work — and it’s every bit as important as the work itself.

Last week, we had a group of middle school baseball players in for strength training.

They were dialed in — moving through their program like pros, encouraging each other, locking into each lift.

After the last set, we set out mats, grabbed some oversized Connect Four chips, and built a giant tic-tac-toe board on the floor out of foam training squares.

The moment the rules were explained, the room came alive.

Two teams lined up.

Athletes sprinted to the board, dropped their colored chip, then ran back to tag the next teammate.

The cheers got louder.

The pace picked up.

Strategy started to appear.

Before long, the gym was full of laughter, shouting, and movement that looked like a highlight reel for balance, coordination, and agility.

They were training speed and reaction time, but that’s not what it felt like.

It didn’t feel like work — it felt like play.

And that’s the point.

When kids are having fun, they move better.

When they’re free to compete without overthinking, they perform naturally.

That’s when the best athletic lessons sink in — not because a coach said so, but because their body felt it.

Frank Forencich said it best in Exuberant Animal:

“Play is the ultimate form of training. It’s how animals—and humans—learn to adapt, explore, and thrive.”

That’s what we’re doing in those moments — teaching kids to thrive.

We give them structure so they can succeed.

We give them play so they can sustain it.

Because the truth is, longevity in sports — and in life — comes from joy.

If training feels like punishment, it won’t last.

If it feels like discovery, it can last a lifetime.

That’s what play does.

It resets the nervous system.

It rebuilds enthusiasm.

It reminds kids why they started moving in the first place.

And it’s not just for kids.

We all need a little play — the kind that reminds us what it feels like to move freely, laugh hard, and be fully in the moment.

At Mighty Oak Athletic, we build better athletes — but we also build joy into the process.

Because the best athletes aren’t just strong or skilled.

They’re the ones who never lose their love for play.