Where’s the Fun? Parents & Youth Sports
Words of Wisdom from Jim & Jane, two local teens sharing their opinions on what matters. Have a question for Jim & Jane? Email it to
info@northtexaskids.com.
Jim: Every kid who has ever played sports (including myself) has dreamed of being in the pros. Whether it’s making the final out in the World Series or scoring the game winning touchdown, we have all played that scenario in our head a million times in our backyards. However it seems that the amount of pressure that parents put on their kids to make their dreams a reality has dramatically increased in the past few years. It’s sad to see kids who love sports at a young age end up becoming burned out by high school because of the pressure put on them by their parents.
Jane: I agree Jim; some people may think that guys are the only ones who feel the pressure in sports. However, I know a lot of girls who get pressured so much they end up quitting. Volleyball, Soccer, and even Dance put an unbelievable amount of pressure on us girls. I have a lot of friends who are on the drill team and they don’t like it because their instructor demands perfection. Whenever the tiniest mistake occurs, they get yelled at to the point where a few of my close friends ended their dance careers simply because they weren’t having fun any more. Once girls and guys get into high school sports their parents see the possibility of a college scholarship in the future. College scholarships for sports are a way for both guys and girls to get a free ride to college, and with the current economic status, parents see athletic scholarships as a way to save money. Parents push their kids to the brink to get the athletic scholarship and most kids end up going overboard with the training and end up quitting before they can attain the scholarship.
Jim: Parents who push their kids to try to get the scholarship need to realize that their kids are going against thousands of other kids who are vying for the same goal. Take football for example, high school football in Texas is extremely competitive and to get on the field you have to work, HARD! Then maybe on average 1 kid per team will get a scholarship to a D-1 school. My freshman year of football we had about 90 kids who played. That has dropped to about 25 from that group who are on the team going into our senior year. Kids drop out because of pressure from coaches and parents and their biggest complaint is “It’s not fun anymore”. My friend who has been the starting running back since sophomore year and has a
chance at scholarships tells me all the time how much he hates football. What ever happened to sports being fun?
Jane: That’s a question asked by kids almost every day when they are in practice, getting yelled at by a coach who is ignorant of the fact that the kids aren’t enjoying what they are doing. They ask the question when they are being yelled at by their parents, who do not realize that what they are doing is negatively influencing their kids. Parents should be encouraging their kids instead of pressuring them. Although all parents of athletes want their kid to be the best and make millions in the pros, they need to realize that it will not happen. Parents seem to get caught up in the heat of the game and end up acting in a way that they would be embarrassed about if they could see themselves saw . Instead of yelling in a degrading way during games, parents should focus on cheering for every kid on the field. And yes, this includes the other team. If you think yelling at an 8-year old kid for doing something wrong on the field will make everything better you need to get some help.
Jim: I’ve baseball umpired, run scoreboards, and held football chains, and no matter what sport I worked, there always seemed to be those parents who take it too far. Yelling at players and officials is ridiculous and completely uncalled for. Sports are supposed to be fun! Yes, there is pressure that comes along with sports. Kids put it on themselves all the time; they don’t need it added on by their parents. Kids perform best when they are positively influenced by their coaches and parents, however it can be seen throughout youth sports that kids performance decreases as external pressure from parents and coaches increases. As a kid I love sports and I want to enjoy my final year of playing organized sports, not be pressured to succeed. Because let’s be honest, if I make a minor mistake in a hockey game it may seem like a big deal at the time, but in the big picture it’s nothing. Sooner or later kids will have to lace up the cleats, skates, sneakers for their last game, and when the buzzer sounds it’s over and all they will have is memories. Will they remember their childhood sports as a time of great fun or constant pressure from their parents and coaches? Hopefully kids will enjoy their sports enough so that they can play up until it’s time to move on after high school and not get burned out before they have the opportunity to fully enjoy the sport.
North Texas Kids • August 2011 •
www.NorthTexasKids.com 53
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