What is wrong with youth sports?

Who is to blame for youth sports?

Read the full article: http://sports.mynorthwest.com/245931/theres-a-problem-with-youth-sports-and-im-part-of-the-problem/

In the May 19th class (module 3), we discussed the participation of youth sports, the positives and the negatives. Gee Scott wrote a piece for ESPN Seattle, discussing the problem with youth sports, which he points the finger at himself. Himself as a parent, and that the way parents react to games to their other children, and other parents. He describes it as valuing "excellence over participation."  He talks about himself keeping score when their isn't a scoreboard or in the car ride home critiquing his sons and other players.

Here is a TED video that we watched for class, which matches the sentiment of Gee Scott.

In the video, John O'Sullivan says a phrase, " I love watching you play." This is the advice he gives to parents of kids he coaches. Gee Scott refers to this phrase in his article as well, saying his father said it to him after a game where he over threw a ball over third base. Our power point of this module points out that there is 47 million children playing sports, a 25% increase since 2000. But Scott points out from a survey from 2014, that there has been 4% decrease since 2009. Parenting may be the reason, along with coaching.

Another reason for the decline maybe coaching. John O'Sullivan wrote an article we studied in class called " The 4 biggest problems with youth sports", where reason three is about coaching and the impact or lack of impact they have on students. CNN also discussed Geno Auriemma's comments on players and coaching, and what he sees is wrong with the game. He said he looks for team players, willing to give it all for their teammates. John O'Sullivan was also featured in this article. He said that coaches aren't teaching players to be humble and respect their teammates. He comments that this is the outcome of a "outcome driven youth sports system."    

As a former high school and pee wee athlete, I realize that coaching had an immense impact on me and my life. It is the reason that I am pursuing sport management as a career field, and the reason I continue to play hockey now. Two that stand out is Mr. Miller and Mr. Snyder as my football coaches. They looked out for me as a person before a player. When I was hurt with my concussions, I sat out until I was cleared by doctors. When I was slumping in my grades, they sent me home to study instead of practice. They had parties for us during and after the season to praise us for what we did or didn't do. I still have homemade videos they put together for my parents to watch of me playing. All this has led me to an interest in coaching, as they were true mentors to me.

They were apart of a public, non-profit organization for Cranberry Township. They met all my requirements of why I wanted to play, whether for fun or improving my skills. Both of which are apart of our power point in module 3. Coaching someone is about a lot of things, but most importantly, it should teach valuable life lessons that kids can use in the future. Teamwork, honesty, accountability, and fairness are values that coaches should teach, not winning or losing. Kids should put themselves pressure to win, not parents or coaches. Unfortunately, this is the case everywhere. I've been on teams where parents yell at their kid for underperforming, and I never understood until I got older. To me, the kids looked upset when it happened, bursting out into tears for something that didn't matter compared to others.

There are many factors that enter into why youth sports are declining, but parenting and coaching I believe to be the forefront factors. Parents need to appreciate what their kids accomplish and support them in whatever they do. It goes past the guidelines of sports and should be the overall message for parents. Coaches shouldn't focus on winning or losing because they are teaching the leaders of a future generation. Competition brings out the worst in people, meaning they end up cheating or poor gamesmanship, which is a factor of poor integrity. In business, that could lead to a firing or worse, a company going under. Coaches have to realize that losing is as important in winning. Everyone makes mistakes and knowing how to deal with them defines a person. Losing teaches you how to pick up your head and analyze what you did wrong and how to improve. I'll end with a quote that is dear to me, " Its not how hard you hit, but how hard you get hit and get back up."

References:

O'Sullivan, J. (2015). The 4 Biggest Problems with Youth Sports. Changing the Game Project. Retrieved from http://changingthegameproject.com/4-the-biggest-problems-in-youth-sports-today/

Scott, G. (2017). There's a Problem with Sports, and I'm Part of It. ESPN Seattle. Retrieved from http://sports.mynorthwest.com/245931/theres-a-problem-with-youth-sports-and-im-part-of-the-problem/

Wallace, K. (2017). In Coach's Rant, a Lesson for Parents and Athletes. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/health/uconn-basketball-auriemma-video-youth-sports-parenting/