Articles
Stepping Up With Safer Programs
I recently read of a case in Northern California where the well-known founder of a youth soccer league was arrested for allegedly molesting a couple of boys.While reading about yet another twisted
Sizing Up Scoring
If you poll recreation professionals on the Top 10 issues they face in youth-sports programming, everything from parent behavior to coachesХ background checks make that list.And near the top of that l
Dissecting Drafts
Millions of children will soon be stepping onto baseball and softball fields around the country for another summer of fun-filled games and practices. For some, though, the journey will be derailed
Parental Timeouts
When it comes to youth sports, weХve somehow reached the point where accounts of parental misbehavior are no longer surprising.In fact, these stories of outbursts, fisticuffs and arrests have become s
Take A Stand
Many months ago, I received an e-mail from Sandra, the mother of a 9-year-old baseball player. During a game, her son suffered a facial injury while at bat. That minor injury has evolved into a
Sore Losers
I don’t know what happened, but it seems like too many people are taking sportsmanship too far.Take the case of the Gloucester Dragons Recreational Soccer program in Ottawa, Canada. The group created
False Security
As long as recreation agencies conduct background checks on volunteer coaches, participants are perfectly safe, right?Baloney!ThatХs like saying plugging a flat tire will make it usable for another 5,
An Even Playing Field
Why do teachers get paid a debatably decent salary, but most coaches are not paid at all? I understand the argument that many times coaches are Billy JonesХs father or a mother who volunteers, but wh
Repurpose Sports Equipment
A couple of years ago, I visited Zambia, where construction was beginning on the $140-million Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, South Africa; it was one of a handful of new stadiums erected to host
A Rewarding Experience
The next time a parent gives you an earful about how your program operates, be thankful. ThatХs right Й thankful. Admittedly, overseeing a youth-sports program comes with a truckload of frustration, b
Drug-Testing Volunteer Coaches
The Tennessee State Soccer Association--the state’s largest youth soccer organization, with more than 40,000 players ages 4 to 19 and roughly 600 select coaches--has implemented a drug-testing program
Practice Pitfalls
Being a physical-educator by profession, I am more sensitive than most to the health benefits that organized sports provide--when they are conducted the right way. But there are plenty of
Follow The School Model
Have you ever stood on the tee at a local charity golf event with trembling hands and a jack-hammering heart, fearing how ridiculous you would look swinging the club and never connecting with the ball?
Girls Deserve Better
Some people out there actually think it is ТunladylikeУ for girls to play certain sports, like football. These naysayers believe girls don't have the physical strength, mental toughness, or endurance
Step Up To The Plate
When I founded the National Alliance For Youth Sports in 1981, one of the driving forces behind that decision was due to the alarming number of youth-sports programs that resembled those in the
A Healthy Debate
When children run, jump, twist, and turn while playing sports, most don't consider something could possibly go wrong. Horribly wrong.It's alarming to note that approximately 100 sudden deaths occur ev
Take It Day By Day
As one might imagine, overseeing a youth-sports program that caters to more than 6,000 children, ranging from 3 to 18 years old, requires having a solid foundation of policies in place--and the courage to stick to them.
Eye On Emergencies
I live in South Florida. If you know one thing about living here, you know the weather can sneak up on you at any time. The rainy seasons can make scheduling outdoor youth-sports events really challenging, and