The Transformative Power of Youth Sports

I recently received a Happy New Year email from The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) wishing members a Happy New Year and discussing things that can be done to make a child’s participation in youth sports a more pleasant experience.  PCA’s mission is to change the culture of youth sports so that every child, regardless of social or economic circumstance, has access to a positive youth sports experience.  Additionally, their vision is a world where every young person benefits from a positive youth sports experience with a coach who inspires them to become the best version of themselves in the game and in life.  Now, I think as parents, this is a mission and vision that we can all agree on.  Who does not want a culture to ensure that all youth have access to positive youth sports experiences ,which is mentioned in both PCA’s Mission and Vision statements, and for those same children to have a coach who inspired them (the children) to become the best version of themselves in the sport they are playing and the in life in general.

            In the article, written by Rob Marcus, the Chief Community Impact Officer at PCA, he discusses the transformative power of youth sports.  Mr. Marcus states that “youth sports, when led by a supportive coach, offer so much more than physical activity. For many kids, the field, court, or track is where they first discover their potential and learn how to overcome challenges. Sports can teach teamwork, resilience, leadership, and discipline. They provide a safe space to build friendships, develop confidence, and learn valuable life skills. For instance, participation in sports helps girls build stronger peer relationships and develop a greater sense of connection compared to those who do not engage in sports.”  Mr. Marcus goes on to state that while sports have the power to transform things the reality is that “not every child gets to experience these benefits. Nationally, nearly half of Black youth ages 6–12 did not participate in organized team sports last year. Youth sports have become increasingly expensive, with costs for equipment, travel, and participation fees creating significant barriers. In California, nearly two-thirds (63%) of parents report struggling to afford the costs associated with their children’s sports participation. Fields and facilities are often unavailable in underserved communities, leaving kids with few or no options to play.”

            As I have been writing for a while now I can totally agree with what Mr. Marcus is saying.  As far back as 25 years ago when I was coaching my daughter and son’s recreation soccer teams, children were excluded from our league because they could not afford the $25.00 registration fee and living in an urban area I often wondered how many children were denied the chance to play soccer due to their parents not having $25.00.  At Board Meetings, discussions were held regarding giving scholarships to a limited number of children so they could participate and for various reasons we could never reach any agreement on how to do this.  I always felt the reasons for not establishing a scholarship program were copouts by certain people on the Board and the inertia not to get it a scholarship program done unfortunately won out.

            Mr. Marcus states that “when kids are left on the sidelines, we all lose. Communities lose the next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers who could thrive if given the chance to play. Removing these barriers isn’t just an investment in our kids—it’s an investment in our collective future.”  Truer words could not be spoken.  The children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow and we can all agree that youth sports give them the benefits of learning how to become leaders, how to deal with adversity, how to become innovators and learn simple teamwork, and if they cannot learn those skills on the field of play then where are the children going to learn these skills.  Yes, I am aware that children go to school an learn many of those traits while in school; however, in my opinion, when children are learning while they are on the field of play, they are learning in a less formal manner and with the right coaches/coaching they are allowed to make and learn from their mistakes in a less intense atmosphere; however, if we make youth sports more expensive and elite by forming travel/select/elite teams we are keeping a large groups of children off the field of play, thus keeping them from possibly becoming the leaders of tomorrow.

            Mr. Marcus states that PCA is working to make youth sports more attainable for youth and here’s how they are making it happen:

• Opening Doors: We’re partnering with community leaders, schools, and local organizations to build coalitions and bring sports programs to underserved areas so kids can play and grow.

• Listening and Learning: Through convening community roundtables, we’re sitting down with parents, coaches, and youth to tackle challenges head-on and come up with real, workable solutions that meet their unique needs.

• Supporting Coaches: Great coaches make a world of difference. That’s why we focus on training them to create positive, inclusive, and supportive environments where kids feel seen, encouraged, and inspired.

• Driving Change: We’re not stopping at programs—we’re pushing for big-picture change by working with organizations like the LA84 Foundation and Let’s Play Boston to engage policymakers to ensure youth sports are a priority in every community, from funding to facilities.

  
  

And as a call-to-action, Mr. Marcus states that parents can do many things to help our children, in fact, he states that “we owe it to our kids—and to our communities—to make youth sports positive, equitable, and accessible to all. Let’s break down the barriers, invest in the future, and create a world where no child is left on the sidelines.”  I have been writing for a while now that we owe it to our children to ensure that all children have an equal chance to participate in youth sports at the recreation, travel, select or elite level in order to develop the next generation of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.  My call-to-action is let’s make this happen.