Every team has its own philosophy on developing young talent. The goal for most coaches is to turn all first-year players, the rookies, into dependable assets that can have a big impact on the game while setting the team up for long-term success.

When we hear the phrase “challenges in the transition pen,” we often think about the lactating herd, paying particular attention to the transition from a dry, non-lactating animal to a highly productive lactating animal.

Remember the children’s story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” in which a young girl tastes three different bowls of porridge and discovers she doesn’t like it too hot or too cold but at just the right temperature? When it comes to preferences, calves and Goldilocks share something in common.