Thursday 3 September 2009

Soccer Parent Advice

Soccer Parents : Pause for a Minute: Knowing me – Knowing you :5 Simple Questions


Parents: You are incredibly important to the sustained development of Youth Sports, spending an estimated $5billion per year on organized youth sports coaching, even during a recession!
Your children are obviously signed up and playing sports. You want your children to get the most from their sports. They probably play more than one sport. Have you thought why they like one sport more than another or how to avoid them giving up sports altogether?
How do you think you can provide the best assistance?
Question # 1: Have you asked your children- ‘Why do THEY like to play sports?

‘ Winning not in the top 5 reasons’ says Michael A. Clark Institute for the Study of Youth Sports, Michigan State University –after a national survey of 10-18 year olds (http://www.auroraarsenal.org/include/pdf/AASC%20Winning!%20How%20Important%20is%20it%20in%20Youth%20Sports.pdf )
Research shows that the reasons most children start and continue to play sports are;

It’s Fun to play
To make Friends and spend time with them
To learn Skills which enhances their self – esteem


Most parents would probably agree but why not check and ask your children why that like the particular sports they play


Question #2: Have you asked yourself – ‘Why do YOU want them to continue playing ‘?

Research shows that to this question parents would answer that they would want their children to have fun, make friends and learn skills but also because of the following additional reasons:

It’s safe
To continue to be socially active
To learn life lessons: - dedication.commitment, discipline, teamwork etc.
To foster a healthy lifestyle
(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1145/is_12_37/ai_96620906/ )





Question # 3: So why do kids QUIT youth sports?
A Study of US youngsters found that 70% of participants who sign up for sports quit by the time they are 13 years of age
(http://students.ithaca.edu/~skenney1/article4.html )

Give this some thought as you think about the sports you played as a kid yourself.
· At some stage you stopped playing them – why did you stop?
· If you have recently started to take up a sport or an activity – why?
· Have your children stopped playing one sport in favor of another – if so why?

Question # 4: How do you think you can provide the best assistance?

Read the policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics, regarding
(http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;107/6/1459)
Accept that as a parent your most important role is to select your child’s sport program and check the coach. Parents have played a critical role in developing Youth Sports and they continue to raise standards by demanding the best for their children
Keep in touch with kids to make sure it’s your children who are driving the experience –not you or their coach. Some tell tale signs are :
- Does their sport still enthuse and excite them? Do they talk to you about their sport when they see ii on TV or read about it?
- Do they initiate discussion about their own performance, their practices and their competition
- Do they organise at least some of their sports equipment by themselves ready for practice and competition
- Are they mostly ready on time? (Remember the Disneyland comparison: they don’t need to be dragged to there!)
- What happens when their coach’s name is mentioned in conversation? (Smile? Scowl? No reaction?)
- In their own leisure time do they still practice their sport?
- How is their sport impacting on their sleep, eating, and/or study habits? There is after all a strong, positive correlation between sports participation and educational performance (http://www.la84foundation.org/9arr/ResearchReports/HighSchoolSportsParticipation.pdf )


Question #5: What to look for in a good youth sports program?

Do some research ( www.bob-bigelow.com/Documents/Survey_results.doc )
Develop a check list –here is an example http://www.brighthub.com/health/fitness/articles/28654.aspx
Try out the online courses for parents at www.sportspath.com
Read this interview with author Mark Hyman on his new book ‘Until it Hurts ‘ http://www.sportsletter.org/sportsletter/2009/04/sl-interview-author-mark-hyman-on-americas-youth-sports-obsession.html#more


In future we will look at the following issues:
- How much is too much sport?
- What are the risks of specialization?
- Managing commitments for the youth sports family
- Some signposts to identify potentially talented elite young performers

For FREE trials of the E-learning Courses for parents (at www.sportspath.com) e-mail Robin Russell on RRussell@sportspath.com

1 comment:

  1. I have never sat back and thought about my 'role' as a soccer parent before. I have since taken course 4 for parents of elite players - excellent advice! Thank you.

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