What’s the biggest problem in youth sports today?
September 3, 2012
What do you think is the biggest problem in youth sports?
I asked that question recently about youth sports and got these reponses:
- Professional little league athletes with parents as their managers or agents.
- Coaches who teach only skills and not sportsmanship and teamwork.
- Early specialization.
- Parents with high expectations for their kids.
- Parents who want to push their kids too hard.
- Coaches more concerned with winning than character.
- Safety.
Which answer do you agree with? If not, what do you think is the biggest problem in youth sports?
I want to hear what you have to say, so please leave a comment.
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From Kids in Sports | Character Building | JBM Thinks, post What’s the biggest problem in youth sports today?
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Twitter: ginavalley
September 3, 2012 at 8:44 am
I think the biggest problem is that we have organized the spontaneity and much of the fun right out of kids playing sports. Play has become a lost art.
I definitely agree with that, Gina. I remember as a kid having hours and hours of free play time, which included swimming, playing outdoor games, building forts, etc. I didn’t do any organized sports until late junior high/high school. Times have changed!
Twitter: espinosajoey
September 3, 2012 at 1:36 pm
I like what Gina had to say.
And I think the biggest issue is that we don’t have a vision for what it’s about. We have put “winning” and “individual success” over learning skills, teamwork, and fun.
Look what Joey Espinosa recently posted: The Battle of Reading vs Screen Time
Yes, Joey, I’m a big advocate of seeing the “big picture” of sport and what it can truly teach your child about life.
Twitter: stats_dad
September 4, 2012 at 11:03 am
Your forgot all of the above as a choice.
Look what Stats Dad recently posted: Youth Volleyball: Take your kid to the AVP
LOL…Fran, they ARE a choice and just wondering if parents had any thoughts about other options or if one stood out to them. Keep up the good work on your site, btw.
Twitter: sportssignup
September 10, 2012 at 1:52 pm
I think it varies from family to family, league to league. Even if you have a fantastic coach, a pushy parent can ruin the whole experience for a youth athlete. A lot of the problems above come down to an attitude.
Exactly, Jodi. And a bad coach can ruin it for a kid who’s got positive supportive parents. I know one of my daughter’s basketball coaches caused her to lose her love for the game.
Today, sports is only about winning. Almost everyone wants to play only to win. A few are playing it for fitness and fun. Some coaches and some parents tries to push to make their kid better, but they don’t understand that they just need to encourage and cheer. The rest is upto the kid, how he or she is going to play.
Sports should be played for fun and give your best in it and leave the rest.
Wise words!