More Than Words On Paper
Ensuring that groups comply with agreements at your facilities
By John Engh
This past fall, the National Alliance for Youth Sports had the opportunity to present an educational session at several industry conferences. The title of the session was “Compliance in Youth Sports—Setting Standards and Enforcing Requirements.” For those unable to attend, here’s a snapshot.
NAYS
NAYS sessions always begin with a discussion of the changing youth-sports landscape. It’s truly amazing how youth sports have evolved in the U.S. Think about it! Fewer than 100 years ago, the first, organized, youth-sports activities began with the creation of Little League Baseball and Pop Warner Football. Most sports started in schools. And the ones that continued were played mostly by kids in middle- to late-adolescence. Many of these sports began in college and then came down to local schools, where groups of kids tried to copy their older siblings. The games they put together—now commonly known as “sandlot”—were the first youth-sports programs.
I always picture that first father (it had to be a father back then) showing up at a scruffy lot to discover what the kids were up to. “These kids need a better place to play.” “They would look great in uniforms.” “That was a bad call, I should umpire.” “I should coach these kids.” And inevitably, “These kids are pretty good, I bet they can beat the kids from the next community!” And from there, programs quickly evolved into what they are today.
The Evolution Continues
Recently, the biggest change is that travel and select programs have taken over, transforming what recreational programs look like in almost every community in America. Programs that used to be for 8-to 10-year-olds now begin for 2 years old! If an 8-year-old hasn’t played a sport, the odds are he or she will never play that sport. And with those changes, specialization dominates. No longer are there specific sport seasons. It seems that each sport is played 365 days a year, and those kids who skip a season fall behind!
Probably the biggest change for youth-sports professionals who work in parks and recreation is the transition from providing programs to those overseeing youth-sports groups using the facilities. Requirements like volunteer training, background screening, and emergency-action plans are now the norm during the permitting process. How does a director ensure that agreements made will actually be followed during practices and games?
Make It Happen
During a recent presentation, my organization partnered with individuals at Hillsborough County, Fla., to highlight the work they do in overseeing multiple organizations using their facilities. Expectations for the user groups are the same as those for the programs they run. Plus, there is a list of business requirements to ensure the organizations are nonprofits in good standing with the state and are overseen by a qualified Board of Directors.
Having standard operating procedures to oversee these groups is the key. Periodic inspections and annual compliance meetings have helped Hillsborough know that the requirements they have put in place are more than words on paper.
Another important recommendation came from some individuals with The Jordan McNair Foundation in Baltimore, Md. Jordan died of a heat-related illness that most likely could have been prevented if a specific plan had been in place to deal with his trauma. Since then, the foundation has championed the cause of having effective emergency-action plans for all sports programs, for both practices and games. Just recently, the foundation convinced the Maryland State Legislature to pass a law making it mandatory not only to have plans in place, but also to practice the plans twice a year.
Now that is how to ensure compliance!
John Engh is executive director of the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) in West Palm Beach, Fla. He can be reached via email at jengh@nays.org. To join more than 3,000 communities by starting a NAYS Member Organization, visit www.nays.org, email nays@nays.org or call (800) 729-2057.