The headline on the cover of the September 4, 2017 issue of Time Magazine reads: “CRAZY TRAVEL. CRAZY COSTS. CRAZY STRESS. HOW KIDS SPORTS TURNED PRO” The article begins with the subtitle, “How your kid’s rec league turned into a $15 billion industry.”
We have created youth sports systems that are performance driven and hyper-competitive, causing parents to invest enormous amounts of time and mon
ey into travel and club programs, private instruction and early sport specialization. The professionalization of youth sports has taken what was designed to be child’s play and turned it into a grown up, dog-eat-dog reality. Chap Clark, a leading youth expert, writes in his book Hurt 2.0; “Every adult has been reared on the notion that youth sports build character. In light of what I have seen – the advancement of the best at the expense of the weak, the preference for the skilled even as the eyes of the awkward plead for a chance, the pressure of the parent who lives vicariously through his or her child’s “play” – little character is being built. I have observed just the opposite in fact. True character is built when one is rewarded for hard work, when one is willing to sacrifice for a friend or teammate, when one experiences the instilled value that proclaims the love of sport and not just the lust for competition. This is perhaps the most obvious arena in which abandonment has made its mark on the adolescent psyche. We still use the rhetoric that youth sports build character, yet what we have taught our children builds nothing other than arrogance, self-centeredness, and a performance ethic that is destructive to healthy, communally connected development.”
Help us put our Youth 1st. What role should youth sports play? According to leaders in youth development, youth sports should provide opportunities for exercise, making friends, gaining competence, building confidence, learning about teamwork, taking risks, developing character and self-discipline. There is a growing body of research, led by the Aspen Institute, which is now supported and endorsed by all major governing bodies starting with the U.S. Olympic committee. (USA Hockey, USA Baseball, USA Wrestling, USA Basketball, USA Soccer, etc.)
“It’s all about building healthy communities. If we are going to ensure that all kids have the chance to grow up fit and strong, we must, among other efforts, eliminate the barriers to sports participation. Childhood is the ideal time to prevent obesity, and none of the key strategies holds more promise in reducing obesity rates among children aged 6-12 than participation in after-school physical activity programs, according to a 2014 analysis published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. That’s especially true with black and Hispanic youth. We must find new ways to help young people enjoy being active every day—no matter where they live or how much money their families make. It’s critical that all kids have the opportunity to find and play sports they love.”
From the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program – Project Play Report
What does it mean to put our Youth 1st? Youth 1st prioritizes Development over Performance, valuing the Person over the Achievement. Implement Physical Literacy standards over performance standards at youth levels. (prior to high school)
Youth 1st programs are inclusive in nature, rather than exclusive. Participation matters! We look for ways to increase overall participation, rather than decrease it, particularly through the age of 15 or before the varsity level in high school. We are aware of opportunities to include youth with disabilities and underserved populations. Youth 1st is cooperative, creating partnerships and win-win opportunities throughout the community. Park & Recreation, Community Ed, Club teams, High school teams, Facility Owners and Sponsors working together. Youth 1st intentionally focuses on the life lessons that can be learned through participation in the programs. We define the attributes we hope participants develop through the process. Youth 1st Coaches, Officials and Parents work together to allow the participants (our kids) to own the experience by creating a fun and inviting atmosphere that also challenges them to become their best. Youth 1st keeps kids involved for as long as possible by being a “no cut” program prior to the varsity level. Road map playing time and development expectations for lower level coaches and parents. Youth 1st focuses on developing winning kids over winning games, because one of those is very temporary; the other can last a lifetime….. We have partnered with Owatonna Parks & Recreation for the past seven years, implementing the Conduct, Character approach in every starter program at the community level – football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, soccer. The effect is that there are less problem phone calls from parents, less screaming on the sidelines, more kids are getting involved, more conversations about how we can provide a better experience at all levels.
