There is a strong tendency in our society to view participation in sports in the most favorable light. Children are encouraged to participate in organized youth sports programs because they are thought to promote such fundamental values as character, teamwork, determination and commitment [1].
But this bias can be troublesome if it prevents us from seeing that problems in youth sports exist. While we have recently come to realize that some professional athletes have serious problems - drug and alcohol abuse, spousal violence, and acts of sexual aggression - we have been much slower to recognize the problems that have developed in youth sports.
As I see it, there are six major problem areas that we need to address:
1. Out-of-control parents
Every parent who has been on the sidelines has seen instances of emotional abuse [2] that are too common in the world of youth sports: the mortified child whose mother is screaming at the referee about a "blown call", or the despondent child who is being verbally attacked by his or her parent or coach for some perceived lack of effort or for making a "dumb" mistake
It has become fashionable to blame "pushy parents" for many of the excesses seen in children's sports.
I think that this is a mistake.
Why do, time and again, well-meaning parents begin to act out of character as they get caught up in the emotional roller coaster of their child's competitive situation?
In my view, it is because, for parents, the youth sports experience:
The question is often asked, is competition bad for children? We should also ask be asking, "Is being a parent of a competitive youth sports participant bad for parents?" Sometimes, a child isn't old enough for a parent to handle the stress of competition [3]
2. Child exploitation
The trend toward early specialization [4] makes me uneasy. In her classic book Little Girls In Pretty Boxes [5], author Joan Ryan concluded that our insatiable national appetite for new stars has resulted in "consumption and disposal of these young athletes" that is "tantamount to child exploitation and, in too many cases, child abuse."
Child exploitation in youth
sports is not limited to such high-profile sports as figure skating and
gymnastics. The potential is present whenever a family faces decisions
on how to help a talented child progress to the next level. The
potential for exploitation is high whenever youngsters become involved
in high-intensity training programs. It is difficult for many
thirteen-year-olds to remain committed to such a program, whether the
sport is gymnastics, football, swimming, or wrestling, but it is more
likely when a determined parent insists that the child continue or risk
being labeled a "quitter."
Here are some questions to ponder:
3. Youth sports dropouts
35% of the young athletes in a recent survey of 1,183 athletes aged eleven to eighteen planned to stop playing the next year. Nearly half of the parents of 418 athletes aged six to ten surveyed reported that their child was not interested in sport any more.
In a survey of 5,800 children who had recently stopped playing a sport, the top five reasons for stopping were:
Asked what changes might get them involved in sports again, frequent responses included:
What these findings suggest is that the way our youth sports programs are organized and run fail to meet the needs of children: in other words, they are adult- rather than child-centered.
4. Endangering young athlete's health
Another indicator of the crisis in youth sports is the high incidence of such problems as eating disorders, overuse injuries [8], use of performance enhancing drugs, and alcohol abuse.
These serious health problems would be cause for concern even if they affected only older, more committed athletes. But when we see evidence that these problems are filtering down to children in high school and even middle school, we should be deeply concerned. No trophy or medal or national championship is worth destroying the health of even one child.
5. Sexual abuse
One of the worst violations of the trust we place in the youth sports system is when young athletes are sexually abused [12]. Coaching youth athletes is an important responsibility precisely because coaches are in a position of power in their relationships with children and adolescents. Coaches who abuse that power and have sex with young athletes are a very small minority (although, due in part to the shame and secrecy associated with such abuses of power, it is hard to know how extensive the problem is). Their existence requires that parents keep a watchful eye on their children [13]. Parents who shirk their responsibilities for their child and allow the young athlete to live with, or be in the care of, a top coach may be making a much more serious mistake than the overinvolved parent.
6. Violence in youth sports
Here are just three examples of the kind of youth sports violence that fills our newspapers on an almost daily basis:
Apologists for this sort of behavior point out that professional sports on television are often violent, such as some the big hits we see in hockey and football. But this argument really has nothing to do with the violence associated with youth sports. The parents just mentioned are not imitating the pro athletes they see on television - that violence takes place within the game. What is disturbing about the violent behavior we see on the sidelines and in the stands is that it takes place outside the game. Once again, these parents are out of control, behaving in blind response to feelings of anger and frustration generated by watching youth sports.
Despite these problems, I still believe that youth sports programs can do a great deal of good for children and for families. There are many positive aspects of organized sports for children.
But if we are to improve the programs we offer to our children, we need to acknowledge and confront the problems. Not only do we need to understand that youth sports are not just "games for kids," but we also need to understand the important roles they play in our society and the powerful psychological pressures they exert on children, families, and communities. We need to realize that youth sports programs are for adults as much as children - perhaps more so. Until we recognize this fact, we will not be able to organize programs that meet the needs of these involved adults and best meet the children's needs.
Dr. Shane Murphy is a sports psychologist in Connecticut and the author of Cheers and Tears: A Healthy Alternative to the Dark Side of Youth Sports Today (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999).
Updated and revised April 21, 2011
Links:
[1] https://www.momsteam.com/node/716
[2] https://www.momsteam.com/node/903
[3] https://www.momsteam.com/node/454
[4] https://www.momsteam.com/node/1215
[5] http://shop.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?sourceid=00343788773910439697&ISBN=0446676829&bfdate=08-16-2001 21:42:51
[6] https://www.momsteam.com/node/743
[7] https://www.momsteam.com/alpha/features/cheersandtears/dark_side3.shtml#top
[8] https://www.momsteam.com/node/3343
[9] https://www.momsteam.com/node/3352
[10] https://www.momsteam.com/node/3083
[11] https://www.momsteam.com/node/2452
[12] https://www.momsteam.com/node/791
[13] https://www.momsteam.com/node/411
[14] https://www.momsteam.com/alpha/features/cheersandtears/dark_side4.shtml#top
[15] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/emotional-injuries/general/abuse-in-youth-sports-takes-many-different-forms
[16] https://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/emotional-injuries/general/greater-protection-of-children-from-abuse-in-sports-is-need
[17] https://www.momsteam.com/overuse/preventing-overuse-injuries-in-youth-athletes