Winter sports leagues are in full swing at the YMCA. At the Y we believe that every child should have the opportunity to participate and succeed no matter what their experience level. Y Sport leagues are organized to emphasize the importance of being a good teammate, a good sport and a contributing member of the community through the core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.
There are many ways sports can make a positive socio-emotional impact on every member of your family. They also give adults a great way to model positive behaviors and be supportive of our youth.
Unfortunately, sometimes the positive behaviors from adults are what’s missing from youth sports. During a season ending YMCA basketball game last session there was an altercation between parents regarding the game. This altercation affected how the game ended and spilled out into the parking lot. This was a 3rd grade basketball game! As a parent and coach, I was appalled by this behavior.
A recent study in the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration showed that parental involvement can form positive as well as negative outcomes in child sport participation. Too many times parents are what’s wrong with youth sports and that in itself is just wrong. Research has shown that sports can help children in so many ways…
Social Skills. They learn about teamwork, leadership and creating friendships, which teaches values like empathy and compassion.
Managing Emotions. Young athletes have shown that sports can help them establish and expand an identity within themselves by trying different activities and discovering their strengths and weaknesses, which leads to higher self-esteem.
Increased Intelligence. Involvement in physical activity leads to better working memory and attention. Plus, kids who play sports score higher on tests and have lower school drop-out rates.
Parents – please remember that your actions play a big role in whether a child enjoys and learns from their youth sporting experience or not. Let’s keep children playing youth sports.
