Listen to thisPittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison caused a stir last week after revealing he was making his kids return participation trophies.
Harrison believed his boys, 6 and 8 years old, had to learn that “sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better.” He also posted on his Instagram account: “While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy.”
Harrison’s diatribe struck a cord with the old-school crowd who think modern parents have become too easy on their kids while instilling a sense of entitlement.
Harrison has the right to raise his children the best way he sees fit, but participation trophies aren’t the problem with youth sports. Getting kids to participate at all has become a growing concern.
In a recent article by Sports Business Daily, citing a study by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, inactivity among American children (ages 6-17) has risen for six straight years and was close to 20 percent in 2014. The study also found the average number of team sports played per participant has dropped 5.9 percent, falling from 2.14 to 2.01.
Adding more trophies and certificates isn’t the answer. There are myriad problems with youth sports.
One critical issue is specialization. Kids “picking” one sport at an early age and playing just that sport throughout their youth … year-round … all over the country … multiple games in one day.
Of course, parents usually have a big say in specialization. To be fair, some kids may only like one sport. Kids, like adults, tend to gravitate to something they excel at. I don’t think your kid has to play three sports. But a kid shouldn’t play one sport 12 months a year, especially in organized games.
During his Baseball Hall of Fame speech last July, former Braves pitcher John Smoltz said “baseball’s not a year-round sport” and the problem is “every throw a kid makes today is a competitive pitch.” He argued the reason so many major leaguers were having Tommy John surgeries could be traced to an abundance of competitive pitches at the youth level. I feel the same way when I watch kids throw curveball after curveball during the Little League World Series.
Specialization can be done in moderation. Kids need to play more pickup games, where they aren’t asked to use their max effort and can just have fun. One reason kids seem to have less time to just play catch or kick the ball around is the explosion of travel/club teams. The bigger programs can train year-round and play in tournaments almost every weekend. I know plenty of families in Ventura County who get up before the sun rises to head down to Orange County – the mecca of club competition in Southern California – for a weekend full of competition.
This year-round specialization has been linked to burnout and an increase in injuries. One lure of club sports is the belief it could lead to an athletic scholarship. If you calculated all the money spent on traveling expenses, you may discover it comes out to a nice college fund.
There are club teams that are cognizant of such issues and do their best to keep kids from reaching the burnout stage. Parents need to be diligent – and try not to sell the farm.
All this has led to a proliferation of state and national tournaments in youth sports.
Teams traverse all across the country to decide “the best” under-10 baseball team or under-12 basketball team. While it is great that kids get a chance to travel and see other parts of the country – sometimes the world – there are too many tournaments that leave little time for exploring and focus more on competitive games.
Is it really possible, or necessary, to find out who is the best 9-10-year-old team in the country? Worse is these “elite” tournaments and camps that are costly and tend to be run like the NFL Combine.
The good news is the national governing bodies in sports have taken notice. According to the Sports Business Daily report, leading the way is USA Hockey.
After a study showed 43 percent of children who tried ice hockey quit by age 9, the organization decided big changes were needed for its youth programs in 2010. The USA Hockey American’s Development Model recommended less travel for young players, ended a 12-and-under national championship tournament, banned body checking and even encouraged hockey players to play other sports.
“The average parent looks around and they go, ‘What we’re doing doesn’t seem right.’ In their gut, they know it’s not right. Why should my 9-year-old in Chicago have to travel to Boston to play in this tournament? All they hear is the loud voice of the youth coach who wants his piece of the glory or the business operation that’s going to take their money because they can convince you that your kid is the next coming,” Ken Martel, technical director of USA Hockey’s ADM program, told Sports Business Daily.
“What we’re finding in our sport, because we’re preaching this, is that a lot of parents are going, ‘Whew. Thank you. I knew this wasn’t right.’ It’s nice to have someone who is actually saying so.”
While other major sports such as football and basketball have seen their youth numbers decline the past five years, hockey had participation increase 44 percent, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Other sports organizations are looking at the USA Hockey model.
According to Sports Business Daily, youth participation was a much-discussed topic at a recent meeting of the Association of Chief Executives for Sport. Leaders of the national governing bodies agreed they need to work together to solve these issues.
“We’re starting to come together around this, and that’s a step in the right direction,” Jim Tooley, CEO and executive director of USA Basketball told Sports Business Daily. “What we’re trying to do is educate people – coaches and parents and everyone involved – to get kids going in the right direction at a younger age.”
It’s time to forget worrying about participation trophies and focus on getting kids to play – and keep playing – for all the right reasons.
Jon Catalini is the Sports Editor at The Star
23 August 2015
http://www.vcstar.com/sports/catalini-culture-of-youth-sports-has-to-change_90287567
