The Problems In Youth Sports and the Quest of Two Professionals To Fix It

"Sports should be about kids and their passion, not about parents and their goals. We love our kids so much, we want to map out their futures for them so early. For so many, a college (athletic) scholarship is their definition of success. That’s sick thinking, and unfortunately, it’s contagious.” - Mike Matheny, Manager St. Louis Cardinals

He is so right.  I see kids being pushed and pushed.  Some kids playing a sport year round.  Some parents are behaving like a mix between prison inmates and wardens in a prison; yelling at their kids, the refs, even coaches at sports played by children, even as young as 6-8 years of age.  It’s a game.  It’s supposed to be a game.  It is not for a parent’s self-esteem or narcissism.  It isn’t the child’s responsibility to fulfill the parent’s lost dreams.  Yet sadly in so many cases, this is exactly what is happening.

We are taking the recreation out of it.  It is supposed to be something fun in which children learn the skills of the sport, teamwork, sportsmanship itself, and perhaps most of all, life lessons.  

To explore the topic further, I must profess I am not a fan of travel teams.  I don't have a vendetta against them, I just don't believe they should be so commonplace, but rather very, very selective and time limited.  They have some merit, as a coach I can see it, but I have also feel they come at a price.  Parents have to raise and spend lots of money on expenses to travel, families have to split up in many cases and head different directions often and I wonder if in 10-15 years it will have made an impact, either positive or negative.  I am truly interested to see. I will say, I am very much willing to change my view if the data supports changing it.

I personally know some families who have done the travel circuit and loved it.  So far, their kids have seemed to enjoy it as well.  No significant injuries.  But the coach and parent in me also knows there are probably cases where it hasn’t worked out, where injuries have totally destroyed a childhood dream before it ever had a realistic chance to be realized. 

I wonder:
Do the kids get burnt out on sports they once loved because it has become like a job at the age of 15?  Do they regret not getting the chance to just ‘play’ other sports with friends or pursue other dreams?  Do they grow to fear telling their parents they don’t enjoy the sport anymore since Mom and Dad sacrificed so much? 

Do the kids, especially as they age into high school tend to get into less trouble (drinking less especially since they are busy with sports and not partying)? What is the impact on families? 
Do divorce rates trend lower or higher? 
Do the kids eventually grow to be more structured and responsible in life and in managing their time?  Or do the kids become more resentful of all that and take a rebellious path in life?
There are all going to be very interesting areas to study in the coming decade. 

My last note before shutting up: We do know teenage arms are being wrecked with kids pitching baseballs so much, so early and with no breaks. 

Dr. James Andrews himself sees this as a national crisis.  He is on a crusade to educate players and parents about the very real threats in specialization and professionalism.  I encourage parents of young kids playing sports to read the linked article here.  This man is the top orthopedic surgeon in the world.  All the elite athletes seek out his counsel and when sadly necessary, his surgical skill.  He is all four books of the Sports Injury gospel.   

http://www.cleveland.com/dman/index.ssf/2013/02/noted_surgeon_dr_james_andrews.html

Lastly, I plan to read Mr. Matheny's new book, The Matheny Manifesto:A Young Manager's Old School Views in Sports and Life

http://www.amazon.com/dp/055344669X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=YRPO03VRRE6R&coliid=ISAPZ7TOBAHJA