On the Homefront

Youth and High School Sports

Part 1: Youth Sports

Ages 0-13

I. Growth of Youth Sports

A. Since the 1950’s Youth Sports has grown partially due to the number of families where both parents work

B. Since the 1980’s there has been a push to always know where your children are at all times

C. Belief by adults that child controlled activities lead to trouble

D. Visibility of high profile athletes increase awareness

II. Today’s Youth Sports

A. Highly Privatized due to lack of Public Funding

B. Emphasis on performance. “Fun” is becoming a better athlete, more competitive and more highly skilled

C. Elite Specialized Sport Training programs exist

III. Parental Involvement

A. Parents become more involved in youth sports and there is a link in many parents between their own moral worth and their child’s sports achievement

B. Winning in Youth Sports– Rick Reilly Article

Worst parents you ever saw?

• Are some sports parents worse than others?• EVL- subject “youth coaches”• http://

sarasota.patch.com/articles/video-shows-youth-football-coaches-player-attacking-referee#video-7585595

Parental Guidelines

• Pick a sport• Write down 3 guidelines for appropriate

behavior for parents/non-coaches• Write down 3 things that are not appropriate• Write down 3 guidelines for appropriate

behavior for coaches• Write down 3 things that are not appropriate

IV. Differences between Player controlled and Adult Controlled

A. Player controlled sports involve lots of action to increase scoring

1. Goals is to have fun2. Keep it competitive—even to the point of

modifying rules3. Make/Keep Friends

B. Adult controlled sports focus on rules, playing proper positions and playing time

1. Goal is play to win2. Learn formal structure/rules3. Learn to deal with adult models or work and

achievement

Social Problems

• What kids deal with:– What if I’m not good enough?– Will I let my parents down?– Will my parents criticize me?– Do I only get to do this?

• What parents deal with:– What if my kid isn’t any good? – Am I a failure?

V. Alternative Sports

A. Backlash against overbearing parentsB. Less rulesC. More FunD. Not adult controlled

VI. Who gets to play youth sports?

A. Expensive1. Fees for facilities/coaches2. Uniforms3. Proper equipment

B. Family1. Affects the whole family2. More than one child in a sport?3. Boys/Girls

Part 2: High School Sports

Ages 14-18

I. Positive Influence

A. Sports are associated with positive educational experiences for some students

B. Reduced dropout rates for student athletesC. Sports are a social activities sponsored by the

schoolD. Increased identification with the school

Do Jocks rule the school?

• ESPN Handout

II. High School Students

A. Want:1. Academic achievement2. Social acceptance3. Personal autonomy4. To become an adult

B. Sports help when athletes are taken seriously and valued by those important to them

C. Sports do NOT help if athletes feel that adults are controlling them for their own purposes

Commitment

• What are the off season requirements?• How much is too much?• Where are all the D1 athletes?

What do we value at DPHS?

• Top three things “we” value. “We” includes, administration, teachers, students, staff and community.

Coaching

• What is the difference between a good and a bad coach?

III. Winning in High School Sports

A. Since the 1960’s sports were linked to schools and communities and there has been a shift from participation to winning

B. Winning gives prestige to schools and the adults that control the sports

1. Coaches are good teachers when their teams win2. Trying to be like big time college programs

C. Adults who focus only on winning fail to see that emphasizing sports marginalizes many students with no interest in sports.

D. Adults then encourage athletes to specialize in a single sport for 12 months a year.

1. This may restrict overall social and educational development

2. Athletes then over conform to the point where they may jeopardize other important activities and relationships in their lives

Sportsmanship

• Mercy rules? Right or wrong?• Are all-star teams ok?• School Spirit– Acceptable/unacceptable cheers?– For all sports?– “Look we don’t get 10,000 people showing up to

watch a math teacher solve for X” --Texas High School Principal