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Megan Kinner
IR/2/11AP

Youth Organized Sports

Benjamin Franklin once said, “To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at

conclusions.” Every parent wants their children to be happy, healthy, and successful, and sports

increase the likelihood that their children will accomplish all three. Everyone should jump at the

opportunity to play organized youth sports because children who have a positive youth sports

experience reap amazing opportunities. That said, this is only possible if the child is in a positive

sports environment. The sports environment is something that is controllable, and it is adult’s

responsibility to make it the best possible. The importance of playing organized youth sports, and

the problems within organized sports can be addressed by training coaches how to coach,

allowing sports to be accessible to everyone, and ensuring parents’ concerns are addressed.

It is imperative to understand the problem before searching for a solution. Around 75% of

families in the United States of America have at least one school-aged child who participates in

organized sports (Merkel 1). Physical, psychological, and cognitive development shows that

children should be at least 6 years old before they start participating in organized sports (Merkel

1). If children start to play organized sports before they are ready then it is more likely that they

will be stressed and have anxiety, and as a result, are more likely to quit sooner (Merkel 1). 70%

of children stop playing sports when they reach the age of 13 years old because it stops being fun

(Merkel 1). The reason children play organized sports is to have fun; so when they stop having

fun, they stop playing. Organized sports stop being fun for multiple reasons including the

following: criticism, yelling, no playing time, emphasis on winning, poor communication, fear of

making mistakes, boredom, and losing (Changing the Game Project). The motivation behind
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children’s desire to play sports include: to be a part of a team, to exercise and stay in good shape,

to relieve boredom, and to do something he or she is good at. It is imperative for parents and

coaches to remember that children do not play sports to win.

John O’Sullivan said, "We know all the benefits of activity from better grades to less

drugs, less pregnancy, more likely to go to college and on and on and on and yet at the same age

when most kids are walking away from sports is that critical age where if they're active then,

they're likely to be active for life.” (Wallace 3) Organized youth sports give children the

opportunity to exercise, learn, and have fun! There is no other activity that produces such results.

Organized youth sports are proven to be physically, psychologically, and academically good for

a child’s health.

Playing organized youth sports is likely to install healthy exercise and diet habits

however, “at the same age when most kids are walking away from sports is that critical age

where if they're active then, they're likely to be active for life.” (Wallace 3) The longer children

are involved in organized youth sports, the more likely it is that they will remain active because

their body is used to exercise, their body starts to desire it. However, with technology increasing

less children are playing outside, and more children are playing on their technological devices.

Children of ages 8-18 average 7.5 hours of screen time a day. In addition, “The average

American consumes 31% more calories, 56% more fat, and 14% more sugar than in previous

year.” (Merkel 1) This is a real problem that is getting worse each and every year. Instead of

going outside to shoot hoops with neighbors, children are inside watching television. This is not

only unhealthy physically, but it causes less social interaction which can lead to more issues.

Sports give children the opportunity to have fun while they exercise! It is the perfect solution to

childhood obesity. Centers for Disease Control found in 1990 that only 50% of youth regularly
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exercise, and that students who participated in high levels of physical activity have a decreased

risk of heart disease and diabetes, and are better at controlling their weight (Merkel 2). Parents

play a critical role in this. Parents must limit children’s screen time and encourage their children

to play outside. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to have a healthier and happier

child?

Organized youth sports fill a common need every child possesses; to be happy. The

Centers for Disease Control found a positive correlation between students who participated in

high levels of physical activity and less psychologic dysfunction. (Merkel 2) Daniel McKinney

has dyslexia. His mom describes school as “a real chore” and “It’s not where he excels.

Meanwhile Daniel’s mom describes baseball as “a place for him to be very successful.” (Hyman

9) Organized youth sports gives children like David the opportunity to do something that they

are good at and enjoy. It gives them hope that they can achieve whatever they want in life. No

matter one’s background, everyone needs to feel valued. Organized sports make children happier

because it makes them feel like they belong and that they are valued. Obesity is not only bad for

one’s health but also damaging to one’s mental health. Participation in sports decreases obesity

thus participation in sports decreases the risk of experiencing a diminished quality of life,

learning difficulties, decreased self-confidence, and social discrimination (Merkel 2). Organized

youth sports influence the development of important behaviors such as; cooperation,

unselfishness, positive attitudes toward achievement, stress management, perseverance,

appropriate risk-taking, and the ability to tolerate frustration and delayed gratification.

(Donaldson and Ronan 1) In 2003, 3 different studies showed that those who participated in

extracurricular activities, including sports, are good at goal setting, time management, emotional

control, leadership, wisdom, social intelligence, cooperation, and self-exploration. (Merkel 2)

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“Through playing with others, children and adolescents can build cooperative relationships and

meet their need to belong” (Donaldson and Ronan 1) Children who play organized sports feel

more connected to their school, attend regularly, and connect more with a positive peer group

that share similar interests, minimizing the feeling of being different and isolated. Everyone,

especially children, have this need to feel belonged and valued. Organized sports fill this need!

(Rosewater 2) A study with several boys who lived in a poor neighborhood exemplified that

playing baseball kept them safe, provided them an alternate form of leisure, and kept them out of

trouble. A lot of the boys felt that if it weren't for their baseball team, they would have become

involved in crime, and joined a gang. (Stodolska 6) Organized sports keeps children busy and out

of trouble.

The likelihood of making a good living increases greatly when one has a college degree,

and sports increase the likelihood of going to college, thus increasing the likelihood of getting a

good job. “Physical activity, including participation in organized sports, produces intellectual

and academic benefits that may have long-term positive effects on life chances. Participation in

physical activity affects key brain functions critical to learning.” (Rosewater 1) Children who

participate in organized sports are “higher achievers” concerning academics. For example, they

are less likely to drop out of school, and more likely to have higher grades, do their homework,

and have higher academic aspirations. (Rosewater 1) The college admission process is very

competitive, playing organized sports sets one apart because colleges recognize the

characteristics that come with athletes. “Extracurricular activities, specifically sports, can offer

an administrative boost, particularly at the most elite colleges and universities.” (Friedman 13)

The college admission board looks for people who are college ready, people who will make their

college proud. Having played organized youth sports is an indicator to colleges that he or she is
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college ready. “Participants in organized sports are more likely to attend college and land better

jobs with more responsibility and higher pay.” (Rosewater 1) “With such enormous potential

residing in youth sports, it is critical to learn from the current knowledge base and continue to

build it to help ensure that young people reap all the benefits possible from their participation.”

(Rosewater 5) Because organized youth sports have the power to improve children’s lives and

ultimately their future, it is important to invest time and energy in improving it.

The qualities that organized sports give children will help them throughout their whole

life. They will understand what it means to make a commitment and keep it, they will be able to

get back up after faced with adversity, they will be ambitious, and they will know how to work

well with their peers.

In order to make organized youth sports a more positive experience, coaches must be

trained how to coach. Most coaches rely on their own experiences with their coaches from when

they were young athletes. Every generation differs from the next, thus the coaching styles must

equate to the players he or she is coaching. In addition, if someone played on a poorly coached

team, then if that someone becomes a coach, he or she is likely to be a poor coach as well. Thus,

poor coaching is a cyclical problem. Very few coaches are educated about child development,

thus they cannot adopt to the children whom they are coaching.

It is important to first understand how and why coaches have such a big influence on

children’s lives. Children are greatly influenced by the people that surround them, especially

adults because adults are older and children often view them as wiser. Observational learning,

learning by observing others behavior, is one of the main ways that children learn. A coach is

someone that children look up to, and go to for advice whether that be in sports or in life.

Children are likely to replicate the behaviors that come from people who they respect and or look
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up to, including coaches. “30% of youth report negative actions of coaches and parents as their

reason for quitting sport” (Merkel 3). Coaches can be too intense, creating a negative

atmosphere. Examples include: hard practices as punishment, increased pressure to win, unequal

playing time, and favoritism. (Merkel 3) In a study, several boys mentioned how much they

valued their coaches and even saw them as parental figures. One boy in the study, Josh,

explained his feelings towards his coach, “Cause I didn't have a father. He was the only man in

my life who was telling me ‘You gotta do good in school, it doesn't matter what other kids say,

you are supposed to pay attention to the teacher and stay focused.’ He calls me to tell me what

to do before I go to school and asks me how my day went at the school.” (Stodolska 6) Terry

Fair on his experience with coaches, “They had an unbelievable impact on me…They told me I

could accomplish anything and do anything if I put my mind to it. I think hearing those words at

a young age and being able to listen and hang on every word that was taught to me at a young

age did wonders for myself in terms of where I ended up.” (Bach 1) A good coach can improve a

child’s satisfaction, motivation, self-esteem, and compliance which has the potential to positively

influence children’s lives outside of sports as well. (Merkel 2)

The impact a coach has on his or her players is huge, and it is our job to protect young

athletes by giving them well trained coaches so that the impact a coach has on a child is a good

one. “At times, the athlete spends more hours a week in the presence of a coach then interacting

with the family so, by default, coach becomes a model for behavior.” (Merkel 3) Everyone, no

matter what age wants to feel important, wanted, and valued. It is essential that coaches

recognize his players for his or her skills. Making players feel valued not only effects their sports

performance but it makes the sports experience more fun. “It just can’t be the negative things all

the time; there has to be recognition when there is marked improvement in what they’re doing so
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they can see the progress that they are making.” There must be a balance between the two. (Bach

2) It is too easy to qualify to be a youth sports coach; “less than 20 percent of the 2-4 million

little league coaches and less than 8% of high school coaches have received formal training.”

(Merkel 1) Coaches must coach players according to their skill and age. A 7-year-old

recreational basketball player should not be coached the same as a 16-year-old travel basketball

player. Research shows that athletes gain the best experience when youth sports coaches were

taught how to coach. (Merkel 3)

Preparation is a key aspect in this research. The better prepared someone is, the more

likely it is for them to succeed. How are coaches supposed to do their job correctly if they are

never prepared? Parents should be able to trust that when they drop their children off at soccer

practice that they are leaving their child with a great coach. The only way to guarantee this to

parents is for their children’s coaches to be required to have proper training.

It is important to educate parents about the benefits of organized youth sports and how

involved they should be, as well as addressing parent’s hesitation in signing their children up for

organized youth sports. Many parents do not sign their children up for organized sports because

they are not able to pay for it, they don't know how, or they are concerned for their child’s safety.

The goal is to get as many children possible playing organized youth sports. To do this

we must make it easier for parents to pay for organized sports. Organized youth sports are not

available to everyone. For children that come from low-income families it is a dream. “The idea

of playing soccer in a league with coaches, uniforms, goal posts and an inflatable ball is a nice

dream. But it’s a dream.” (Hyman 130) It is important to give all children all the opportunity to

succeed. Organized youth sports can do wonders for children, especially for low income

families, sports give children a way “out” and an opportunity for success. A successful youth
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sports program is expensive to run, thus is expensive to participate in one. A city, located in the

South Atlantic Census Division, participants of organized youth sports can be influenced by its

income inequality. “For its youth sports program, the City charged a $40 registration fee for

residents and a $55 fee for nonresidents. For its teen sports program, the fee was $45 for

residents and $60 for nonresidents.” (Berk 2) If families cannot afford these fees, they would

have to request a waiver.

“If fees must be charged, programs should offer and publicize scholarships, sliding fee

scales, work opportunities, and other strategies that make sports participation more affordable for

the children of low income families.” (Rosewater) Many public schools offer the opportunity for

low-income families to request a full or partial waiver of registration fees. However, some

families may be reluctant to fill out the request for a fee waiver because it takes time that these

families simply do not have. In addition, the request for a fee waiver may require some personal

information that some families may feel uncomfortable sharing. (Berk 2) The waiver needs to

welcome children to the sport with open arms, no matter the financial situation at home. The

easier the process is to request financial help, the more likely the family will be to have their

children participate in organized sports. (Berk 4) As children grow older “Travel teams get more

expensive, more exclusive, more time consuming…Keeping the base of the participation

pyramid as wide as possible during these years is the primary challenge facing any community

that appreciates the need to keep kids active.” (Farrey 285) A system must be put in place that

allows children to continue their sports participation at the level in which they desire. It is unfair

to pressure children to play at a higher level with higher prices if they only want to play for fun.

One of the biggest reasons why parents are hesitant to sign their children up to play

organized sports is because of the risk that their child will get injured. Although research shows
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that more than 3.5 million children under the age 14 need treatment for sports injuries, most

youth injuries come from overuse which is an easily avoidable injury. (Wallace 3) Children who

play organized youth sports do get injured sometimes, however, they get injured in a controlled

environment. In reality, most children will get injured regardless of whether they play organized

sports or not. Also, a sports injury teaches a child perseverance, a skill he or she will need

throughout their life. Many bills have been proposed to state legislatures to try and make youth

sports safer, however, less than 10% of those bills have been passed. (Merkel 3) It is important

that coaches are educated about sports injuries so that if a player does get injured, the coach is

well prepared, knowing what to do. In addition, if coaches were well informed about sports

injuries then he or she could take steps in preventing injuries.

Although important, it is not enough for only coaches to be informed on organized youth

sports. Rather, parents must be educated on how involved they should be in their child’s sports

teams. “Parental involvement entails the time, energy, and money parents invest in their child's

sport participation and includes things such as providing transportation, attending practices and

games, providing instructional assistance, and purchasing sport equipment (Enyon, Kitchen, &

Semotiuk, 1980; Weiss & Hayashi, 1995).”(Stein, Redeye, and Glenn 1) There are multiple

ways in which a parent can become involved. The parent must understand his or her children

well enough to recognize what kind of involvement his or her child needs. Because, every

relationship between a parents and a child is different, thus “parents can help create enjoyment

by providing support and encouragement, or they can be a source of stress and anxiety by

placing excessive pressure on a child.” (Stein, Redeye, and Glenn 1) The amount of involvement

and the type of involvement must be decided by the child, because it is the child who is affected

by the involvement. How the child perceives his or her parent’s involvement is more important
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than the amount of involvement. (Stein, Redeye, and Glenn 1) Two different parents may be

involved in the same activities of their children’s sports teams as each other but, one child may

think it is too much involvement, while the other child may think their parent is not involved

enough.

Non-profit organizations like the National Alliance for Youth Sports, and the Changing

the Game Project exemplify what people can do to help organized youth sports. These are

organizations whose sole purpose is to make organized youth sports better, creating better

childhoods for all children.

National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is an admirable group that works with many

different youth recreational sports teams across the country, striving to inform coaches and

parents about organized sports. They believe that every child should be able to participate in a

quality organized sports team where they can learn both athletic and life skills. (National

Alliance for Youth Sports). In order for children to have a positive experience playing youth

sports NAYS suggests the following: children must receive positive instruction, volunteer

coaches and refs must be trained properly and held accountable, and “parents must complete an

orientation program to understand the impact sports has on their child's development and the

importance of being a model spectator at all times.” (National Alliance for Youth Sports) Greg

Bach who works for the National Alliance for Youth Sports said, “what we do is we speak to the

professionals, we reach out to coaches who are more well known, and respected. You know like

Krzyzewski and Duke, Rutgers, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens. We talk to those type

of people who do things the right way and we get their insight on how coaches should be with

their kids and we use their feedback.” (Bach, Greg. Personal Interview)
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Changing the Game Project is also an admirable organization whose purpose is to put the

‘play’ back in ‘play ball’. In addition, the organization has multiple suggestions on how to make

the best possible organized sports experience for children. Dan Gould at the Michigan State

University Institute for the Study of Youth Sports explains “Kids want to have fun, to get better,

and to be with their friends…parental support and encouragement…praise them for their effort…

be realistic about their ability… be present, and interested in what they are doing.” Parents must

remember that it is just a game. More importantly the game is not theirs, rather it belongs to the

children. (Changing the Game) The Changing the Game Project proposed the 7 C’s of High

Performance Mind set to help parents help their children find what their children are passionate

about and then help their children achieve their dreams. The 7 C’s include; common sense and

perspective, safe and developmentally appropriate conditions, great communication, give them

control, competence, confidence, and caring and unconditional love. (Changing the Game) Using

an analogy of art work with children: “Your children are your blank canvas, and years from

know, they will be the culmination of the messages they have received, the opportunities they

have had, and the values they have learned by being an athlete. Like art, in coaching and

parenting there are infinite textures, colors, and styles that all lead to the final product, and no

two kids are the same.” (Changing the Game) Meaning, it is the coaches and parents job to adapt

their coaching and or parenting styles to the children, so that children can reach their potential.

Organizations like these are important to invest in because their efforts help children have

fun in a positive organized youth sports environment. Additional organizations include; The

Youth Sports Project; CoachUp; National Council of Youth Sports. It is essential to help

organizations like these, so that they can help organized youth sports reach its incredible

potential!
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Abraham Lincoln once said, “give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the

first four sharpening the axe.” There will always be a chance for failure, but that chance greatly

decreases when one’s prepared. Life is hard, and unpredictable, organized sports prepares

children to deal with these obstacles that will be presented to them. The better prepared children

are; the better off society will be. Children who play organized sports are more likely to get a

high level of education and to be successful. It is imperative that children are well prepared for

adulthood, because their success equals society’s success. The experiences that young athletes go

through while playing sports can be compared to experiences that they will go through as adults.

Sports prepare them for those situations. Life is very competitive, most things are not given to

people, rather people have to work and fight for what they want. Young athletes learn this

ambition and persistence through organized sports. If a child is short, he or she may be told that

he or she has no chance to play basketball at a competitive level. At an early age, sports give

children the option to either give up, or fight for what they want. It is essential to provide a coach

or parent who will motivate these children, telling them that if they work hard enough, they can

accomplish anything they desire. Organized youth sports must require its coaches to be trained

properly before he or she is allowed to coach a team. More needs to be done to give all children

the opportunity to play organized sports, and to improve it. The potential of organized youth

sports needs to be better recognized

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Works Cited

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n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2017.

Bach, Greg. "Fair's Five: Coaching Tips to Influence Young Lives Today." National Alliance for
Youth Sports. Sporting Kid Live, 1 Dec. 2016. Web. 16 Dec. 2016.

Bach, Greg. Personal Interview. 15 December 16.

Berk, Mark, and Lauren Moon McGivern. "Effects of a facilitated fee waiver program on
participation in youth sports programs." Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 34.3
(2016): 99+. Academic OneFile. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.

Donaldson, Sarah J., and Kevin R. Ronan. "The Effects Of Sports Participation On Young
Adolescents' Emotional Well-Being."Adolescence 41.162 (2006): 369. MasterFILE Premier.
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Farrey, Tom. Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children. New
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Friedman, Hilary Levey. Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture. Berkeley:
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"Growing Kids' Brains through Sports." National Alliance for Youth Sports. Sporting Kid Live,
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Hyman, Mark. The Most Expensive Game in Town: The Rising Cost of Youth Sports and the
Toll on Today's Families. Boston, MA: Beacon, 2012. Print.

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Rosewater, Ann. “LEARNING TO PLAY AND PLAYING TO LEARN: Organized Sports And
Educational Outcome.” Educational Digest 75.1 (2009): MasterFILE Premier. Web. 28 Oct.
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Stein, Gary L., Thomas D. Raedeke, and Susan D. Glenn. "Children's Perceptions of Parent Sport
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Stodolska, Monika, et al. "Minority youth participation in an organized sport program: needs,
motivations, and facilitators." Journal of Leisure Research 46.5 (2014): 612+. Academic
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Wallace, Kelly. "Why Are so Many Kids Dropping out of Sports?" CNN. Cable News Network,
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