My Top 5 for Parents of 7yr old Athletic Prodigies

After countless questions from overbearing parents about their 7yr old "athletic prodigy", I have come to many conclusions. 

So what are top 5 things parents should encourage 7yr olds to do If they want their kid to be a superstar athlete, in my opinion? 

1) Watch the edited versions of: 

    Kickboxer, 
    Bloodsport, 
    all Batman movies, 
    the first four of The Rocky series
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (original 1, 2,and 3), 
    Rudy. 

And not just for their awesomeness. 

Then reenact scenes in back yard. 

2) Learn to use a compass

Then go on an adventure alone in nature. WITHOUT a cell phone. They'll be fine while learning to rely on their self. 

3) Wrestle w/ their friends and rough house w/ their uncle (this is my job w/ my nieces and nephews). 

Anyone that says wrestling isn't the greatest sport for general athletic and psych development obviously has not wrestled. 

5) Turn off the screens. 

If I had a tablet, computer and cell phone when I was 7 I'd be stuck in them all the time too.

I'd have missed out on climbing trees, catching frogs, being covered in mud, getting lost in the timber (I believe the rest of the world calls it 'the woods') and having to find my own way home, fighting w/ my best friend, making up w/ my best friend, being John Elway in the back yard, hitting imaginary home runs, winning the olympics in the back yard, glueing random pieces of wood together and calling it art, cutting myself w/ my dads tools trying to "make stuff", watching my dog stalk and catch an animal, falling out of trees (kids that fall typically have less fear of heights than kids that didn't attempt), building "forts", crashing my bike, etc, etc. 

We live in arguably the best time of human existence for a child to grow up (outside of pollution and food), IF and I mean to put emphasis on the word 'if".....If parents will get out of the way, and/or allow it. 

His words, "Adam, Let's lift with our shirts off."

Every 7yr old in the world knows more about life than 99.9% of adults, it's us that can take a lesson from them. 

This isn't meant to sound preachy, it's a perspective. But these are probably the most common things I say w/ my nieces and nephews: 

     "Well, what do you think?"
     "What's over there?"
     "Let's find out." 
     "WHOA!!" 

The rest of the time I'm mostly listening and watching w/ curiosity to see what they're gonna get into next. 

Point is to let little Johnny BE little Johnny.