A Worthy Investment
Take a moment to appreciate your role as a positive influence
By John Engh
Photos: NAYS
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and came across a great post that reminds us why the job of a youth-sports administrator is so incredibly important. The post was shared by one of my life-long friends who had three children who played sports throughout their childhoods, and one played in college. No matter their ages, they were always participating in something. All three of these kids turned out to be great adults with families of their own, and their parents give much of the credit to the coaches and administrators who ran the leagues.
The Cost Of Participation
I asked their mother once how much money she spent over the years for tournaments and leagues. Her answer was simple: “I don’t know, but it was worth it!” The post below is not from her, but she was the one who shared it on Facebook. It is a powerful reminder of why these activities are such an important part of a child’s development.
From Facebook user Nikki Jessee:
“One of my friends asked, ‘Why do you pay so much money for your kid to play sports?’ Well, I have a confession to make; I don't pay for my kid to do sports. Personally, I couldn't care less what sport they do.
So, if I am not paying for sports, what am I paying for?
I pay for those moments when my kid becomes so tired she wants want to quit but doesn’t.
I pay for those days when my kid comes home from school and is “too tired” to go to training but goes anyway.
I pay for my kid to learn to be disciplined, focused, and dedicated.
I pay for my kid to learn to take care of her body and equipment.
I pay for my kid to learn to work with others and to be a good teammate, gracious in defeat, and humble in success.
I pay for my kid to learn to deal with disappointment when she doesn’t get that win or championship she’d hoped for, but still goes back week after week, giving it her best shot.
I pay for my kid to learn to make and accomplish goals.
I pay for my kid to respect, not only themselves but other players, officials, and coaches.
I pay for my kid to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years, of hard work and practice to create a champion and that success does not happen overnight.
I pay for my kid to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long-term goals.
I pay for the opportunity my kid has and will have to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories, to be as proud of her achievements as I am.
I pay so my kid can be out on the court instead of in front of a screen.
I don't pay for sports; I pay for the opportunities that sports provides for my kid to develop attributes that will serve her well throughout her life and give her the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far, I think it is a great investment!”
Taking Inventory
The experiences I had in sports have taught me so many great things I still use today. I never really took inventory before of those experiences, but with four brothers, I can say the experiences never stopped. They were an integral and valuable part of our lives. We all wrestled and played basketball, football, tennis, and baseball. And we never missed a season. We had a big, green Ford van we would pile into, and our parents were constantly driving us around to different practices and games. We couldn’t wait to play.
So, coming across this list was a great reminder to me of the sacrifices that not only my parents made through all those years, but the many volunteers and professionals who made those experiences so great and so memorable, even decades later.
Today, when I tell people I work in youth sports, a typical response is that it sounds like “rewarding work.” I hope you can take a moment and appreciate the rewarding work you are doing, and the positive influence you are making in your community every day.
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.