What Happened to Youth Sports?

One of the reasons I enjoy working with kids is much is because of the constant effort and energy they bring to every session. They are eager to do well and teeming with excitement each time they show up to train. A coach has the opportunity to either enhance or crush that excitement during an athlete’s most formative years. If the coach makes training boring or puts too much value on the outcome at too young of an age, then that excitement is quickly replaced with boredom, a lack of engagement, and a negative relationship with that sport and activity is fostered, causing athletes to be excluded or drop out far sooner than they should. Unfortunately, this has become common practice in youth sports, as many coaches now value winning over development and a competitive team over player enjoyment.

Youth sports should be all about creating positive movement and athletic experiences so that children develop their athleticism and a positive relationship with sports and activity; sports should be fun for kids. Youth sports have become more intense and competitive than they were ever intended to be. Coming from someone who hates to lose, I can understand developing a healthy competitive spirit in kids and teaching them the value of competing hard, but it should never come at the cost of kids hating or being excluded from sports. Nobody remembers the results from their 1st grade soccer games and landfills are littered with past Little League Trophies for results long forgotten, yet we have come to treat winning in youth sports as the only reason to play. Instead, we should focus on providing these kids with positive movement experiences and the physical tools they need to live happy, healthy, and active lives.