Just Because They Said It, Doesn’t Mean It’s Right

Welcome back to the Logical Fallacies in Youth Sports series. If you’re new here, we’re breaking down the most common reasoning mistakes that show up in coaching, parenting, and athlete development. Today, we’re putting the spotlight on a classic trap: the Appeal to Authority Fallacy in Youth Sports.

This fallacy occurs when we assume something is correct simply because a respected figure has said it. In sports, that usually means coaches, club directors, or former athletes whose opinions carry weight, even when those opinions might be wrong.

What Is the Appeal to Authority Fallacy in Youth Sports?

The appeal to authority fallacy is when someone accepts a claim as true not because it makes sense, but because someone with status said it. In other words: “It must be right because Coach said so.”

There’s nothing wrong with respecting experience, but blind trust is where problems begin. Experts are valuable when they’re challenged with thoughtful questions, not worshipped like sports oracles.

If you’re curious how other fallacies show up in youth sports, check out our post on Begging the Question and how it leads people to ignore data in favor of “that one time something happened.”

Common Examples of Appeal to Authority in Youth Sports

Let’s walk through how this plays out, from the field to the bleachers.

“The Director Said So”

Just because a club director is great at booking gym time and scheduling tournaments does not mean they’re an expert on athlete burnout, skill development, or long-term planning. Still, many parents and coaches follow orders without question, simply because of the title behind the decision.

If you’ve ever heard, “We make all 12-year-olds specialize because that’s how the director did it with her own kids,” you’ve seen the fallacy in action.

“They Played College Ball”

This might be the most common one. Playing experience is useful—but it doesn’t automatically mean someone can coach. Knowing how to do something and knowing how to teach it are not the same. If we’re not careful, we take advice meant for adult professionals and apply it to 8-year-olds trying to tie their shoes between serves.

For more on coaching development that works, take a look at our recent newsletter, Fix the Dish, Not the Kids, which looks at how coaching culture often needs more repair than athletes do.

“I Saw It on YouTube”

Social media has created a wave of training influencers who look legit because they’ve worked with one elite athlete. But youth athletes aren’t mini pros. They need methods suited for their stage of development, not the flashiest version of a drill someone used on a beach in Southern California.

“This Is What We Did in the 90s”

Sometimes the authority is tradition. “This is how we always did it” becomes the backbone of decisions, without asking if it’s still effective or relevant. It’s a fallacy hiding inside nostalgia, not logic.

How to Counter the Appeal to Authority in Youth Sports

We can absolutely respect authority. But it’s time we stop outsourcing our thinking to people simply because of their resumes.

Ask for the Why

Good coaches and leaders should be able to explain why they do things, not just say “Because I said so.” Ask questions. Get context. If they get defensive, that’s not a red flag…it’s a stadium flare.

Match Advice to Your Situation

Just because something worked for a national champion doesn’t mean it will work for your 14U developmental team. Context matters. Make sure advice is actually meant for your age group, goals, and skill level.

Teach Athletes to Think

If we want athletes who are self-aware, resilient, and adaptable, we have to model that ourselves. Encourage them to ask questions and understand the reasons behind their training. It helps them grow and prevents blind obedience.

Evaluate the Message, Not Just the Messenger

Look at what’s being said, not just who’s saying it. Are they citing evidence? Does it make sense developmentally? Does it match what we know about growth, health, and learning? If not, it doesn’t matter how many banners are on their wall.

Want to dive deeper into another common trap? We previously covered the No True Scotsman Fallacy in Youth Sports, where we explore how goalposts constantly shift to protect someone’s image of the “ideal athlete.”

Conclusion: Respect Experience, Question Authority

The goal isn’t to undermine experienced voices in youth sports. The goal is to hold all ideas to the same standard. Does it make sense? Does it apply here? Is it healthy for the athlete?

Because when we stop asking those questions, we trade growth for obedience. And youth sports should be a place where kids learn to think, explore, and challenge, not just follow orders because someone once coached a Division I team in 1998.

Recap

• Fallacy: Appeal to Authority

• Definition: Accepting an idea as true just because someone important said it

• Where it shows up: Club policies, coach advice, social media, and outdated traditions

• Solution: Ask why, understand context, and teach athletes to evaluate ideas for themselves

Next in the Series

In the next post, we’ll explore the False Dilemma Fallacy and how it pressures youth athletes into thinking it’s “win or nothing.” Spoiler alert: there’s more to sports than medals.

The post Select Logical Fallacies Series: Appeal to Authority appeared first on Dan Mickle.

College Volleyball and the Blessing of Breathing Room

TL;DR:
The college volleyball experience stands out not because it’s easier, but because it offers space, ownership, and balance; a contrast to the relentless cycle of club volleyball.

Every once in a while, a comment sticks with you. Not because it’s critical or loud, but because it quietly pulls at a thread you didn’t realize was loose. That happened recently when someone replied to a post where I mentioned, almost offhandedly, how thankful I was that my athlete doesn’t play school ball anymore.

But it wasn’t really about school ball. It was about everything that comes before the college volleyball experience. Specifically: club.

The Club Cycle That Doesn’t Stop

For those of us who’ve lived inside the machine that is youth volleyball, you know it well. Club season ends, tryouts begin, school season picks up, another round of club starts. There’s barely time to clean the sand out of your shoes before the next calendar drops. And we do this year after year like it’s normal. Expected. Celebrated, even.

Then it catches up.

Your athlete drags themselves through another tournament weekend with glassy eyes and taped-up knees, wondering why the thing they once loved now feels like a job they can’t quit. As a parent or coach, you find yourself doing calendar gymnastics just to make it all work while asking, “Wait, didn’t we just finish a season?”

There’s no off switch in the youth system. No intentional pause. It’s full speed from 13s to graduation. And that wears on people: physically, mentally, emotionally.

That’s the context behind my “thankfully.” Not a jab at school ball. Not a superiority complex. Just relief. A sigh from someone who’s seen too many athletes sprint a marathon with no water breaks. Someone who knows that “grit” doesn’t mean ignoring burnout until your joy fractures.

Why the College Volleyball Experience Feels Different

This is where college volleyball steps in. Not as a trophy at the end of the pain parade, but as something better by design.

What makes the college volleyball experience feel so different? It isn’t just the competition or the gear or the travel. It’s the breathing room.

The recruiting process, when done right, actually allows athletes to get to know where they’re going. Unlike club commitments that get locked in after a weekend and 48 hours of chaos, college recruiting can be (and honestly, should be) intentional. You meet the team. You learn the culture. You ask the awkward questions. You figure out if this is your place, not just a place.

And once you’re there? You rest. Seriously. Built-in recovery time. Scheduled breaks. Seasons that start and end, instead of looping endlessly with different jerseys and the same pressure.

That might not sound revolutionary. But when you’ve grown up in the youth volleyball world, it feels like discovering fire.

Standards and Autonomy Matter

Then comes the autonomy. College athletes have more say, and more responsibility. It’s not “Coach says jump, you ask how high.” It’s “Here’s the standard. What’s your plan to rise to it?” There’s structure, yes. But there’s freedom, too. The kind that teaches you to lead, manage your energy, and speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

I get it. College volleyball isn’t all sunshine and pep talks. There are programs that fall short. Coaches who miss the mark. Politics that still sneak in. Some athletes transfer. Some get burned out all over again. No level of play is immune from hard days or hard people. But on the whole, the structure of college volleyball creates space for better. Better communication. Better balance. Better support. Not because it’s flawless, but because it’s built with intention, something that often gets lost in the whirlwind of youth club chaos.

A Place to Grow Without Burning Out

And maybe, most importantly, the college volleyball experience allows for something that’s often missing in youth sports: growth without exhaustion. It’s still demanding. The standards are high. But they’re framed by balance, not burnout.

If you’ve followed my work, you’ve seen where this thread leads. I’ve written before about the emotional toll of constant competition in How I Grew to Resent the Sport I Love and the long walk back to joy in The Road Back…To Me. This isn’t abstract. It’s personal.

So when someone asked what makes college volleyball “superior,” I don’t think they meant trophies or titles. I think they were asking why it feels better. Why athletes seem happier. Why the dread fades.

The answer? Space. Voice. Time.

College volleyball isn’t perfect. But for many athletes, it’s the first time they realize they don’t have to survive the sport to enjoy it. They can just… play.

And that’s something worth being thankful for.

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