Major Problems in Youth Sports

In class on February 26th, 2013, we discussed the major problems in youth sports today. Before I talk about the issues we came up with in class, I would like to explain my opinion on what I believe to be the biggest issue in youth sports. I believe that parent involvement is a huge issue in youth sports today. Not only do I believe this, but I also found a strong believer in this as well in an article online. Parents put way too much pressure on their kids to be the best at such an early age. It is not about being the best, its about being able to play and have fun, especially at such a young age.







One major problem discussed in class is overemphasis on winning. Winning should not be taught as one of the top goals in youth sports, they should be focused on their own personal goals instead. The second issue discussed was pressure by significant others to achieve success. Even friends place a major impact on putting pressure on the youth causing them sometimes to not be successful. The third issue was instilling unrealistic goals of stardum or professional status. Some parents may push their kids to this level because they want them to grow up and be successful and become a pro athlete, even though odds may be slim. The fourth and last issue we discussed was overuse injuries, over training, and burnout. By setting unrealistic goals, it can sometimes cause an injury due to the over training. By pushing young athletes above their comfort zone, it could cause them to be burnout from the sport which could mean that they do not have an interest in the sport anymore. Found again in Coakley's text on page 139, here is the youth sports national report card....

1. Child-Centered Philosophy: D
2. Coaching: C
3. Health and Safety: C+
4. Officiating: B-
5. Parental behavior/Enviornment: D

http://alphamom.com/parenting/youth-sports-theyll-make-you-crazy-if-you-let-them/