Posted on behalf of John Fitsch:
When it comes to youth sports, it is not a parent’s job to be a die-hard fan. It is to be supportive whether or not their child does well or does poorly. When children burn out of sports, it is usually the fault of the parent putting on too much pressure for instant success instead of allowing for losing to be a learning experience. Support is always good, but to live through their child is something parents do too often and is taking things way too far. As Paul R. Strieker says, “Many parents and coaches try to push their youngsters to achieve that extraordinary ability at an even younger age. This approach can be unhealthy and can lead kids to specialize too early in a particular activity, have recurrent overuse injuries, or succumb to the effects of pressure and pre- maturely quit their sport.” (109)
Parents often try to be their child’s coach too often as well. They are not experts, and can often teach incorrect techniques that make a child less successful in their sport. Yet, this leaves many children between a rock and a hard place. At a young age, how can a child accept that what their parents are saying is wrong? Knowledge of correct skills and technique is critical for success. Soccer is an excellent example of how proper skills result in success. According to Keeron J. Stone and Jonathan L. Oliver, “Ultimately, skill to execute a successful pass, dribble with pace and control, or shoot at goal with accuracy, will determine the outcome of a game. “(164) When given improper instruction, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the performance of a player will not be as high as one who has been taught proper techniques and skills.
Over the last two years I have given private lessons and worked at camps for baseball instruction, working with young baseball players aged 5-13. I have noticed that when in isolation from parents, the children I have worked with nearly always are more willing to learn new techniques that most of the time contradict what a parent had taught them in the past, and are also much more willing to take positives out of losing baseball games.
The camp I worked at the last two summers has two parts to the daily routine. Half the time is taken up by instructional lessons, and the day is finished up with a competitive day. The problem is that (from what I’ve seen) parents are more concerned with the games rather than the instruction. Too often have I seen parents ask after a day of camp, “How did you do?” rather than ask, “What did you learn? ” or even a simple, ”Did you have fun?” Parents need to learn that these camps are not showcases for their children to show off.
What we cannot forget, however, is that the ones who introduce their children to sports are most of the time parents. If it weren’t for them, most kids would be playing videogames instead of doing something active. The world of sports can be a lot of fun.
Do you think that parents should be heavily involved in their children’s sports lives, or should they just stick to role being the chauffer? Or, how can parents positively support their children in sports.
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Growing up in a very sports orientated family, I have been on teams with my dad as my coach and with other fathers of my teammates as coaches. It was different when we were younger, because it was not really a big deal to be the best team out there, but as long as their kids were having fun, our coaches/parents seemed to be okay. But as we got older, the competition began to grow all around us. We would see certain parents paying for extra help for sports, such as camps, extra leagues, or other outside resources in order to ensure their kids had all the opportunities to be the best athlete they could be. As Stricker states "'Success' needs to be redefined because our current societal definition is one reserved for only the gold medalist or the first place finisher," which really is something that should be changed (109). Sports should be an environment where children feel they can have fun whether or not they lose. Of course, everyone may enjoy sports when they win a game, but especially for younger children. It should be taught that you can still succeed in life even if you do not win every game. If children are taught at a younger age that success is all that matters, it could have a very negative affect on the rest of their life.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel as though many of these parents are pushing their children so hard to succeed because they want their children to have the lives that they were never able to have. They want them to succeed in things which they did not. I think parents should be involved in their children's sports lives, but only to a certain degree. I do not feel parents should be coaches, because I have seen way too many controversies between coaches and players, and coaches and parents of players when coaches are parents. If parents learn that sports can help their children develop in all different aspects of their life. With child obesity on such a rise in our country, Ivan Washington discusses in chapter 26 all of the physical benefits that can come along with sports and exercise, one of them being "better control of obesity." (411). If sports can be such a positive part of a child's life, why should parents be allowed to make it into something negative?
As mentioned in the lead blog post, it is with the help of parents that children are introduced to sports, aside from playing video games all the time, so in that way parents do help. But I believe parents should help their children get started, and then let them have full control of their sports career for how ever long they choose to continue so.
I think it is important for parents to be involved in their children’s athletic careers. However there is defiantly a point where parents need to step back and realize it is their kids playing the games not themselves. Parents do play a critical role in children’s athletics because they are typically the ones who will introduce sports at a young age. Whether its signing their kids up for a youth league or playing basketball in the driveway for the first time it is usually a parents role to introduce their kids to sports.
ReplyDeleteI think all children should at least try to play some sport at one point in their life. Athletics is more about being good and winning games it teaches children many important lessons in life. They are able to learn about being a team player and how to make friends and even work with those who you may not get along with. Sports also keep kids active which is very important as kids grow up. Parents can help their children see the benefits of sports and even help them improve their skills.
There is a line parents can cross when athletics becomes more about them then the children. Paul Sricker talks about how parents can push their young kids to far and the negative effects it can have on them: “This approach can be unhealthy and can lead kids to specialize too early in a particular activity, have recurrent overuse injuries, or succumb to the effects of pressure and prematurely quit their sport” (Sports Skill Development in Kids 1). This explains how kid’s parents can become obsessed with having their children be good at one particular sport so they will spend all their time practicing only that sport thus using the same muscles. This can harm children because at a young age they need to be active in many different ways. I also agree that by forcing kids to play sports and pressuring them into being good athletes they can be turned off by sports. Parents should let their children play sports and encourage them but realize it is up to the kids how often they play and how they train. Parents need to focus on finding a place in the middle to support their children without pushing them to hard.
I think it is very important for a child's parent to be involved in their children's athletic career. Where i grew up, you hardly had any parents that came to the game to support their kids. Kids in my neighborhood mostly come from single parent households and get involved in sports to stay off the streets and looks up to the coach as a father figure that most of us did not have growing up.
ReplyDeleteParents should be involved in their kids sports lives but to a certain extent. Parents should not live through their kids because all that's doing is hurting the kid. Like Striker said, "The exciting world of how children improve certain skills happens along a sequential pattern that is consistent for most children — but occurs at different speeds and matures to different
levels among them" (109). Parents need to just let the kids be kids and not push so hard because you do not want to burn the kid out and eventually having the kid not like the sport anymore because of too much pressure put on by the parent.
I have seen parents go nuts at their kids, it was unreal. At my games growing up, you always had that one parent at the game that was yelling all the time at their kid, and you can tell how it affects the kid because on the court the kid will be so afraid to make a mistake and always listening and looking in stands to the parent. There are parents that really get mad at their children if they lose the game or do not have a good game, that's not good at all."A child's self-worth never should be threatened by the outcome of an athletic
event"(110).
Parents should support their kids not matter if the kid is the next Lebron James or not. At the end of the day it is just a game and parents should be the people their kids can be comfortable going to and not be afraid because they might get yelled at.
Parents definitely need to be involved in their children's sports lives, but there is a line that needs to be drawn. The goal of playing sports at a young age for these children is to have fun, learn the game they are playing, and be on teams with their friends. As Paul R. Stricker states in his article, "Sports Skill Development in Kids", "This is a goal in line with supporting children to have fun, be active, and create positive life-long views of exercise and fitness." (Stricker, 109) I grew up in a family as well that was involved heavily in sports. My dad played basketball his whole career and during his time in high school, he became one of the best basketball players in Massachusetts. My sister was a top-notch basketball player as well and my other sister was a great swimmer. When I got into high school, I didn't possess the same skills as my older sister or my dad at playing basketball. However, my dad always told me that you play for the fun of the game, where you can work on developing leadership skills on and off the court and make new friendships.
ReplyDeleteChildren nowadays start maturing their self-esteem earlier now. They start noticing how they compare with other kids in their grade and many times they notice how their parents react. I played baseball my whole life and I'll admit even in my early days, I would take a peek over at my mom and dad after I made an error. If my dad gave me that stare like "Oh I know you can make a better play then that" or just shook his head, I got down and my confidence decreased. As Stricker states, "Maturation of psychologic self-esteem and self-worth also progresses over time, but can start at an early age, when children start to compare themselves to other children and also notice the reactions of adult figures to their performance." (Stricker, 110) Parents must realize their children's ability, but at the same time they must realize how much a child can take. I'm going to use the TV show, Friday Night Lights, as an example because I know just how similar this situation is to real life. Star freshman QB, JD McCoy, of the Dillon Panthers is one of the best young quarterbacks in the country. He has everything you want in a QB, but the one area of concern is the fact that he is very immature and doesn't cope well with yelling and coaches/parents getting angry at him. Of course, his father is a crazy man who doesn't get this. After every game that McCoy doesn't play up to his ability, Mr. McCoy goes crazy and yells at his son so much until one game, where JD just breaks down and starts to cry. I know there are parents like this all-around the world, but why can't they just accept their child's athletic ability whether it is top-notch or not?
Unfortunately there are many parents that just don't get it. For example, in 2006, in California, a football coach ran out onto the field and blindsided a 13-year-old kid after the kid delievered a late hit on the coach's son. How can parents really get this crazy? Parents need to know where to draw the line when getting involved in their children's sports lives.
There shouldn’t be any argument about whether parents should be involved in their children’s participation in sports, but there is definitely an issue regarding how much parents can be involved. Parents are typically the reason and facilitators for their children’s involvement in sports; they are the ones who introduce the kids and often teach the basics. There often comes a point, however, when the child has advanced beyond the parents’ level of knowledge/expertise in the teaching or coaching of the sport. This lack of knowledge or expertise can be detrimental to the child and their development due to unrealistic expectations.
ReplyDeleteIn the article Sports Skill Development in Kids, Stricker says “These unrealistic expectations are often caused by a lack of knowledge of what skills they may be able to do appropriately, or of the sequential maturation process of skills required for sports. Many adults may think that once a child can run, any other skills improve out of sheer repetition and practice. Hence, the disconnect between expectation and reality” (109). In my personal experience, my parents were extremely supportive in all the sports that I played, yet they were never pushy or overbearing when it came to the pressure to perform. Emphasis was placed on always giving 100% effort, always showing up and being a good teammate and having good sportsmanship. I never had a parent as a coach, but my dad was the president of my Little League for a couple years when I was 10 and 11 (and my mom was treasurer). This was a tremendous way for my parents to be involved with my participation in sports without being too involved.
Of course there are times when it is appropriate for a parent to be the coach, as long as they are well-qualified and will perform their duties as a coach equally to all the players. I played on multiple teams where a coach was the parent of a player on the team, but never really noticed many significant issues from my personal experience (except the typical grumblings of the coach playing their son more, but in this case, he truly was the best quarterback on our Pop Warner team).
Parents directly involved in their children’s participation can be detrimental to the child’s physical health in addition to the added psychological pressures. “This trend towards the growing competitiveness of sport has not, however, been without health ‘costs’ for athletes, most particularly in the form of more stress injuries and overuse injuries, and increased constraints to continue competing while injured” (Waddington, 414). An example of this overuse is the issue of young pitchers in Little League throwing absurd numbers of pitches and frequency of games (not to mention the typical parent/coach sentiment to ‘suck it up’). However, this issue is being addressed with the recent rule changes limiting pitchers to a particular pitch count and rules regarding how often they can pitch.
Something that has not been addressed though is the use of breaking pitches and their effect on the physical health of the pitchers’ arms. Little League-aged kids are not yet fully developed physically, and it has been shown that the physical strain from throwing and the particular torque and stress put on the elbow and shoulder from throwing breaking pitches can have negative long term effects. The pressures that parents can put on their children can have negative effects both physically and psychologically.
Parents definitely need to be involved in their children’s athletics participation. They also need to be involved in their academics, their social life and any other aspect that is going to affect how they grow up. So many parents are determined that their kid is going to be the next superstar; they are banking on their child getting a full scholarship to a division 1 college. The reality is that there are more academic scholarships available in this country then there are athletic. Many parents still do not understand that.
ReplyDeleteNo matter the outcome the child has to know that whatever they did their mom or dad will be proud. A parent shouldn’t be on the sideline yelling at the ref, the parent should be visible on the sideline so that when their child looks across the field, they see their mom or dad there for support, cheering them on in a controlled manner. I have seen too many examples of parents losing control; I get embarrassed just watching them lose it.
"Maturation of psychologic self-esteem and self-worth also progresses over time, but can start at an early age, when children start to compare themselves to other children and also notice the reactions of adult figures to their performance." (Stricker, 110) I have seen parents who get mad at their children for making a bad play, it is disgusting. On the other hand, I have seen parents go insane when their child makes a shot or gets a hit. Parents need to find that happy medium, they need to be a mild cheerleader but most importantly a solid rock of support.
I think that it is really important for your parents to be involved in sports. I always wanted my family at my games to support me, it gave me a little extra incentive to do well, because I wanted to impress them. However, as much as I wanted my family at my games, I always have remembered how if I had a bad game I would be in fear of my father's speech after the game, not the coaches. Even if I had a coach I knew would yell at me, I was in more fear of my family's critiques.
ReplyDeleteI agree with John that in sports, you need to practice your skills and they are very critical in how you will develop into that sport. Stone and Oliver say, "While soccer involves a multiplicity of skills, Reilly and Holmes' described that the most frequently used actions of passing, dribbling and controlling are the fundamental skills that are essential for retaining possession and are precursors for the completion of a skilled performance." They are saying that without the proper training of these simple skills, that it could lead to a a player performing poorly. These skills are learned from the very beginning as a young child, and they need to be learned from a professional, or someone who knows what they are talking about and that is not necessarily a parent.
It is not the role of a parent to coach the sport, but however support their child. Stricker says, "Maturation of psychologic self-esteem and self-worth also progresses over time, but can start at an early age, when children start to compare themselves to other children and also notice the reactions of adult figures to their performance." Children are affected by how their parents react to their game. So in my case, when I was frightened of my parent's reactions it almost took away from my enjoyment of the game because I didn't want to upset them.
As children, sports should be enjoyable, and as a parent it is their responsibility to encourage this fun and enjoyment. Leave the coaching to the coaches and encourage your child to have a good time and try their best. If they don't do great, it's just a game and life will go on. Enjoying a sport results in better performance.
I’ve been playing organized sports since tee ball back in kindergarten, and I know I would be a completely different person I if wasn’t involved in sports from the beginning. I believe sports are a very important part of childhood, and teach young kids values such as teamwork and obedience as well as teaching kids how to interact with others. My parents were always very supportive of my sisters and I when it came to athletics, and I am glad they were. I always wanted my father to be a coach, whether it was basketball or baseball, but he knew to leave that to someone more qualified than him. Unfortunately, not all parents realize that most of the time the coaches are more suited for the position that they are.
ReplyDeleteAll too often these days we hear about a parent going psycho on the sidelines. One of the more recent articles involves a high school coach who punched the father of a player in the face after a dispute over wind sprints (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/10/19/wilmington_parent_injured_after_spat_with_pop_warner_coach/). What people should realize is that when your young, it’s not the score that matters, but the ability to catch on to the skills that a sport demands. According to Paul Stricker, “in reality, success would dictate that personal improvement or personal accomplishment absolutely is a successful and worthy outcome” (109). Several of the sports leagues for younger kids in my town don’t keep track of the score or the teams’ record, and coaches are encouraged to work with kids on basic skills rather than focusing on having a better team than the rest of the league.
We know that the problem is not sport itself. Sports have been proven on many different occasions to be beneficial to children and adults alike. According to Ivan Waddington, “In 1993 an authoritative report from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Center for Disease Control recommended that adults should take 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week” (409). This activity is good for health as well as enhancing personal values. However, the problem lies with the stress of striving for first place only to feel the agony of defeat in the end. When kids are constantly told that finishing first is so important to sports, the stress that comes with losing can be insurmountable and lead to them dropping out of sports in the long run.
I think it is very important for parents to support their kids if they are the star player or the last player on the bench. Knowing that you have someone there supporting you when you do well or do poorly is very important. I certainly felt this way when I was growing up, playing sports. I also think that there is nothing wrong with a father or mother coaching his or her children's team growing up. I think that this is good if the father or mother can coach the team with out creating any type of bias for his or her son or daughter. This is very difficult. Biases can come in positive and negative ways. A parent can be too easy on their kid and let them take every shot or a parent can be too hard on their kid and hold them to a higher standard than the rest of the team. I think these biases cause a negative situation in the coach/child relationship.
ReplyDeleteSome parents tend to put too much pressure on their children. Paul Stricker says, "Much of the pressure today siems from unrealistic expectations placed upon young children. These unrealistic expectations
often are caused by a lack of knowledge of what skills they may be able to do apprcpriately, or of the sequential
maturation process of skills required for sports. Many adults may think that once a child caiji run, any other skills improve
out of sheer repetition and practice. Hence, the disconnect between expectation and reality" (109). Parents sometimes expect too much out of their kids which causes some kids to give in to too much pressure.
In some cases, when parents press sports upon their kids at a young age, it ends up being good for the child. Some examples of this are Tiger Woods, and the Williams sisters in tennis. Everyone knows the Tiger Woods story and how he started playing golf at the age of 3. The Williams sisters were basically bread to be tennis players from their father. These two examples ended up ok.
Sometimes, this is not the case. Sometimes, when parents put too much pressure on their kids it can have negative setbacks later in life. For example, weight-lifting at a young age could harm the body. "This time means that many youngsters be inappropriately subjected to excessive aerobic training prematurely in certain sports. The reality of development would instead encourage us to focus on technique and other aspects of the sport while maintaining good foundational aerobic training until puberty is fast-approaching. This could potentially reduce the number of overuse injuries that arise from trying to force significant aerobic gains too early" (110).
Overall, I think that parents being involved in their children's sports is not a bad thing. I think the parent ultimately needs to understand their child and how far they can push them. Some children will be motivated more and more if their parents continue to push them. Other children, on the other hand, will be turned off by the constant pressure from their parents. Parents have a major impact on their children's lives and it is important to for a parent to understand their child when it comes to pushing them into sports.
Parents definately need to play a large role in guiding their kids from an early age into sports. It is something I'm very happy that my uncle and brother did for me. I do think that as the kid gets older the parent should back off more and more and let the kid do his thing, but at a young age to get them first involved to something as beneficial as playing sports, parents NEED to push.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to breaking down their child's performance it crosses the line, as long as the kid is having fun that is all that should matter, not everyone was made out to be a division 1 athlete. Unless parents are the coach of a team, after a certain age they should be hands off of a kid playing sports. "Ultimately, skill to execute a successful pass, dribble with pace and control, or shoot at goal with accuracy, will determine the outcome of a game" (Stone and Oliver, 164). Teaching them these important skills should be the coaches job, so unless the parent is very skilled in that regard and is the coach, they should just sit back and be supportive.
"Certainly, there are children who have extraordinary talents and perform outside the box of standard developmental skills" (Stricker, 109). The kids who have these great skills have natural ability on top of good coaching throughout their lives. But not everyone is going to turn into a professional, so for the few that do have that opportunity a parent needs to support them, but not pressure them. My friend was an amazing baseball player who could have gone almost anywhere in the country to play. But he gave it up because he never loved to play, it was just his father forcing it on him. It's one thing to want your son to play something that he likes to do, but to force him to do something he doesn't like (even if he's good at it) will be detrimental to him down the road.
-Nate Porter
I think parents should be involved with their children’s sporting activities. Parents and family members are essential elements of a player’s support system. Having people cheering you on from the stands instills confidence and the desire to make them proud. Normally, this is healthy and worth-while for most children. However, as with all things, some parents simply take it too far.
ReplyDeleteThose parents are the “stage moms” of sports. The ones who are too demanding and believe winning is everything. The ones who live vicariously through their children, hoping their kids will make it to the pros because they blew their knee out in college. Those are the parents who go too far. They pass this on to their kids, who think the only way they can make that parent proud is to be the best. So they practice and push themselves too hard too fast. The result, as Striker explains, can be damaging and takes the fun out of sports.
“If they are attached to their sport as their main source of personal value, then emotional health can be damaged when they lose or do not perform well. Personal achievement and personal improvement are undoubtedly successes for a child and should be encouraged as such. A child is meant to have fun and enjoy activities, and the child rarely imposes self-pressure at early ages unless he or she has learned it from adult sources,” (p. 2).
The parents who get their kids involved in sports as a way for them to socialize, have fun, and learn about teamwork should not penalized because of the overly intense sports parents. I always wanted my parents to cheer me on, but they never pressured me to be the best. As long as I tried my best, they were happy. Most parents are the same. Sports are a way to build character and learn valuable lessons like the need to always try your best no matter the outcome.
Yes, some parents have forgotten this. But then again, so have some coaches.
Many coaches have forgotten that winning isn’t everything, especially when it comes to children. There are more important things to focus on, such as team work and cooperation between players. The need and desire to win, however, is everywhere in sports – from the pros to the pee-wee leagues. In some cases, the will to win and be the best can force athletes to take drastic measure. For example, steroid use in baseball has stemmed from this issue. The need to be the best and have the best stats has a forced an unparalleled era of cheating – one that is damaging on many levels. As such, it only makes sense that these examples would trickle down to younger generations.
And many coaches have done little to stop this. Instead, they embrace it and recommend more practice as a means to achieve greatness.
But as Stone and Oliver found, too much practice can actually impede the player’s natural ability by wearing them out.
They said that even after what are considered short practices, there were noticeable “technical differences in the ability to execute skills when fatigued, or cognitive differences such as regulatory focus influencing the individuals strategic response to a skilled task or differing self-regulation strategies,” (p. 11).
Some parents and coaches alike have both lost sight of the fact that children in sports are still children. They are not professionals, and as such, they need to be treated differently. Sports are a great way to make friends and gain a sense of belonging. Yet there is a growing sense for adults to isolate children and pit them against one another to see who the best on the team is. That’s not what sports are supposed to be about, and it is time that those adults remember what it was like the first time they played a game. Hopefully by doing so they can realize how important it is to retain a sense of innocence for children in sports.
Obviously, parents have to be involved in their kids events. Some parents act as coaches, others bring snack, others plan team activities or dinners.
ReplyDeleteAnd some are just crazy.
Some parents take the little kids sports way too seriously, pushing them too hard to play and most kids end up getting sick of the sport and stop playing entirely.
As Striker wrote, "Knowledge of sports skill development in youngsters may help dampen much of the significant pressure placed upon kids today to start competing at younger and younger ages" (Stricker, 109).
Too early are children thrust into competitive sports, sometimes before they even know the rules. (Aside: I also think those people that let their kids play but don't keep score are just silly.)
Too often have I watched soccer tournaments at the school behind my house where a bunch of four year old kids run in a pack after a ball while the parents stand on the sideline screaming at them.
This is a sign of parents putting too much time and energy into a game being played by kids that will forget it even happened hours after it happened. A perfect example of overkill.
Want more overkill? Look no further than "The Effect of 45 Minutes of Soccer-
Specific Exercise on the Performance of
Soccer Skills" by Keeron J. Stone and Jonathan L. Oliver.
Any study that says "Following
the LIST slalom dribbling time increased significantly by 4.5 ± 4.()'7< iP = .(KW).
while the mean total poitits scored during the LSST was signihcantly redttced by 7,6
+ 7.0 points {P= .012)" (Stone and Oliver, 163).
...and deals with a soccer practice, is utter overkill.
These are the things that are killing sports. Making it some scientific formula and sucking out any emotion or heart. Or having parents scream and yell at kids who are just having a good time.
These are things that are killing sports. And it's a widespread epidemic.
Growing up as a child my parents played a pivotal role in my development as an athlete. They pushed me to play to my best ability without being to aggressive. My dad taught me everything he could, while my mom would chip in and play catch or shoot baskets when needed. Looking back, i couldn't ask for more. I had a great foundation and was luckily enough to not been overworked. I enjoyed playing sports and for me it was a privilege. My dad managed to be my coach for all three sports i played. However, once i was old enough to play sports in middle school i noticed a dramatic change.
ReplyDeleteIn middle school, many of my friends and I were still growing into our bodies. I remember my baseball coach making some of my friends learn how to throw a curveball. My friend was a very good pitcher, and he was unfamiliar of how to release the ball. My father wondered why a coach would have a middle school kid risk injury? As the article explains it could be due to the, "unrealistic expectations placed upon young children" (Stricker 109). Even though we weren't children, we still had not matured as teens. My friend was considered one of the best pitchers at the time. When he reached 8th grade he blew out his arm. My Father and I concluded this was due to the pressure put upon by the coach.
I was lucky enough to not of been pushed so hard. However, some of my friends parents were just crazy. At the end of the day sports is just a game. Especially at such a tender age, many of my friends parents had such high expectations for us. Its okay to push your children, but excessively takes the fun out of the game.
When playing sports in Middle and High school we practiced everyday after school. As stone and oliver found too much practice can actually wear out a athletes durability. According to the article, “technical differences in the ability to execute skills when fatigued, or cognitive differences such as regulatory focus influencing the individuals strategic response to a skilled task" (Stone and Oliver 11). During the time i thought this was how you get in shape. Which is partially true, but after reading this article i now have a different opinion.
Overall, depending on the parents and coach kids are unfortunately going to have high expectations. This is the society we live in and i see no signs of it changing. I think its time we let kids play the game and enjoy it for what it is (just a game!). Let the kids who are skilled progress into the athlete they can become. its a shame we overwork kids. However, within sports there are expectations and until they go away i see this trend staying.
Parents are the ones, who get their children involved in sports, so why shouldn’t the parents be involved in their children’s sports? Of course there are the crazy parents who push their kids and are upset with everything, but for the most part, I believe that parents should be involved in their children’s sports.
ReplyDeleteThe “Sports Skills development in kids” article by Paul R. Stricker had a great sentence that really summed up my point: “When a youngster has a phenomenal ability, he or she should be encouraged and supported to proceed in a healthy way as to prevent overuse injuries or burnout. Instead, many parents and coaches try to push their youngsters to achieve that extraordinary ability at an even younger age. This approach can be unhealthy and can lead kids to specialize too early in a particular activity, have recurrent overuse injuries, or succumb to the effects of pressure and prematurely quit their sport.” (Stricker, 109)
Parents need to be there for their children to introduce them to sports. By doing this, they will get them involved in things, and keep them off the streets. Then the parents need to be there for them and keep pushing them, as Stricker said, in a healthy manner. If a parent doesn’t push their kid, he or she may quit after a while. But in the end, it may help to tell them to keep going.
My mom and dad got me started in soccer at the age of four. They were always there for me, encouraging me to keep going, and encouraging me to get better. They never forced me to do it, but they kept pushing me, and made me really love it. My dad was like a coach to me. There were two people I would listen to, and those two people were my coach, and my dad. My mom was a swimmer, and when my sister picked up swimming, my mom was also another coach for my sister. Parents can really help out in these situations.
I don’t think it’s wrong for parents to teach their children about the sport they are playing when they know what they are talking about. One of the greatest athletes of our generation is Tiger Woods. Look at what his dad did for him. His dad was his coach, his mentor, and everything else. Obviously, when a dad has no clue about the sport, then he should stay out of it, but I think it’s a good thing for parents to teach their children about the sport.
Of course in the end there is always the worry about pushing a child too hard and ruining their future, or their interest in the game. “The effect of 45 minutes of soccer specific exercise on the performance of soccer skills” article by Keeron J. Stone and Jonathan L. Oliver summed it up best: “Performance in soccer is dependent upon many factors, including, technical, tactical, mental and physiological.' Throughout the course of a match players will experience fatigue, manifested through a reduced work rate, a reduced ability to perform high intensity exercise' and a progressive reduction in muscle strength toward the end of match-play.”
Performance in any sports is largely psychological. You need to have your head in the game. If you’re uninterested, you won’t do well. That’s where you parents should push you hard, and keep you interested, and make you want to do better and better. But your parents can’t push you too hard, because otherwise, you will want to quit.
Parents should affect their children’s activities in sports, but they can’t overdue it. I think the worst possible thing to do as a parent would be to push your child so hard, that they lose interest.
-Robin S.
There is no question that parents should be involved in their children’s sports lives. Children need their parents to support them through whatever they choose to do, and sports are no exception. However, there are those parents that tend to support their children in a negative way, and push them way too hard. Parents should worry more about whether or not their children are learning and enjoying themselves, rather than if they are the most athletically gifted. Parents should be proud of their children’s athletic ability, and encourage them to develop athletically. However, they should not force their children to constantly train, as this can suck the fun right out of sports.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it is ridiculous for parents to actually make their young children physically train for sports. In Stone and Oliver’s The Effect of 45 Minutes of Soccer-Specific Exercise on the Performance of Soccer Skills it states, “It is clear that completing exercise equivalent to one half of a soccer match mat be sufficient to impair the ability to perform soccer specific skills” (174). This shows that constant training of athletes can actually thwart their athletic skills. This suggests that if children are constantly forced into physical training, they will not be able to develop athletic skills. Children should not be forced to train, but should be able to go out and enjoy sports, and develop their skills naturally, without parental pressure. This is illustrated in Paul R. Stricker’s Sports Skill Development in Kids.
“A child is meant to have fun and enjoy activities, and the child rarely imposes self-pressure at early ages unless he or she has learned it from adult sources” (Stricker 110). It is crucial for children to not have to feel constant pressure in order for them to actually enjoy playing sports, and want to continue. Fortunately for me, I did not have a parent who was only concerned with my athletic ability, and constantly forcing me to train.
As for their role in their children’s sports lives, parents should definitely be involved. However, that involvement should include being supportive of their children, and not pushing them too hard, as constant parental pressure is enough to ruin sports for anyone.
I have worked as an assistant to my high school's athletic director for the past three and a half years. About three weeks ago, I walked into his office on a Friday afternoon for a home football game. He was on the phone when I walked in, and the explanation of the phone call was priceless.
ReplyDeleteIt was the middle school cross country coach. The mother of one of the girls on the team had upset some of the other parents and coaches with her yelling... at a middle school cross country race. I shook my head in disbelief, then stopped when I realized who it was, and could hear her yelling/coaching from the stands ringing through my ears when I was in high school.
In these four years, I've realized that sometimes, the parents want their kid to score more points, have a better mile time, or grab more rebounds than the kid even cares about. There are far too many parents who attempt to resurrect their athletic careers vicariously through their children. I see it coaching youth basketball. Some of these kids don't want to play at all. They would rather sit on the bench, and do anything else in the world. But their dad, or their brother played basketball in high school, so they're expected to do the same thing.
According to Stricker, “A child is meant to have fun and enjoy activities, and the child rarely imposes self-pressure at early ages unless he or she has learned it from adult sources.” Six year olds in Little League aren't going out there trying to win a World Series. They want to have fun, and they're learning the game. However, when a parent is all over their kid for grounding out, or throwing the ball away, it takes away from the overall experience.
I definitely think parents should be involved in their child's athletic experiences. I am also not against them serving as coaches. It depends on the parent. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. As long as the parents can remember that it's a rec league basketball game, or a middle school cross country race, and not the NBA or Olympics, they can be a positive influence on their child.
Parents should always support their children involved in sports. It's the measure of how much support they should offer that sparks this debate. In my mind, it depends on how knowledgeable the parent is of the sport.
ReplyDeleteThere is no reason to pretend to know a sport and end up hurting a child's growth and learning ability as an athlete. Paul R. Stricker sums it up best.
"As we improve our knowledge of sports skill development, the ultimate goal is to be able to support the growth and maturation of children along the way with as little pressure as possible" (110).
Letting the children go as far as they want to in sports is the right thing to do - not forcing them to play through high school.
I remember I broke my parents' hearts when I quit hockey before high school began. They didn't let me drop it easily, but I did have the final say, and that's important.
On another hockey note, I remember when I was playing, 12 years old at the time, and I could hear this crazy mother yelling at us while my teammates and I were on the ice. She must have felt that she was her son's personal coach, but in reality, she didn't know nearly as much as our real coach did.
I think the pressure that kid had from his mother really affected his personality and attitude in sports in the future. I'm not saying that all parents should not do anything and let the coach do the teaching, but in some cases that is the way it should be.
Buying equipment, driving to games and cheering their child on no matter what the performance are the best things a parent can do for a young athlete.
Family is the No. 1 socialization agent, as I've learned time and time again in sociology courses here at Quinnipiac.
ReplyDeletePaul R. Stricker wrote about sports and children.
"Much of the pressure today stems from unrealistic expectations placed upon young children. These unrealistic expectations
often are caused by a lack of knowledge of what skills they may be able to do appropriately, or of the sequential maturation process of skills required for sports," Stricker writes.
I agree with this. It's great for children to learn a sense of competition at an early age. But if parents are overbearing and expect too much out of their children, then problems can ensue.
We've always been told that "practice makes perfect," especially at a young age. However, as Keeron J. Stone and Jonathan L. Oliver found out, too much practice could be detrimental to one's ability.
"Results show that while 45 min of exercise caused no decrements in sprint pcrfonriance there were significant reductions in the ability to perform soccer-specific skills. Both the speed (dribbling time) and accuracy (shot perfonnance) with which soccer-specific skills were executed was impaired following exercise replicating one-half of a soccer match," they write.
This is where the parents come in. They want their children to be the best they could be, and teaching them to practice like this, while improving them in the short-term, could have drastic long-term effect.
"Father knows best" may not hold true anymore.
Sports have always been a part of my life. Growing up, I played hockey, basketball, baseball, golf, and of course soccer. No one forced me to, but it was all I wanted to do. Sure my parents put balls in my crib and playpen, but I was the one who made something out of it. Now, with regards to parents pressuring their children at a young age to either win or perform better than the other children was something that I was not exposed to, but I do not agree with parents when they interfere with their child’s sport at such a young age. Sure my Dad played the sports that I did and continue to play, and there is no question that he introduced me to them, but I was the one who wanted to perfect them.
ReplyDeleteOn the contrary, when I work at soccer camps during the summer, there are always those insane parents who believe their child is the next Pele, well what I have come to notice is that the parents who push and push, are the ones with the child who simply have no interest in the sport. For instance, the last soccer camp I worked during the summer, there was this girl, who was probably around thirteen years old. Now, keep in mind we are at a soccer camp, but she did not participate once throughout the week. She had fallen off her horse and hurt herself on the weekend prior to the start of camp, but she still came and all she did was literally sit on the ground with her legs crossed while tossing a tennis ball up in the air. When I asked her why she just didn’t rest and heal at home, she simply stated that her mom was making her come. Now, think about that, the girl clearly does not want to be there and it was obvious riding horses was her passion and it was not scoring a goal in the World Cup.
Yes there are the types of parents that pressure their kids and force them to participate in activities, mainly sports that the child simply does not want to do. However, there are the parents who encourage and help their child succeed, but that is when the child asks their parents to practice with them. Personally, my Dad knew how much I wanted to get better at all the sports I played, so he basically followed by cues, and helped me when I asked him. I will never forget something he would always say to me, which was, “Brett, I will never force you to do anything.”
There is no doubt that through forcing and pressuring children at a young age, soon enough that child will become burnt out from the sport. Paul Stricker said in his article, “Sports Skill Development in Kids” that, “Instead, many parents and coaches try to push their youngsters to achieve that extraordinary ability at an even younger age. This approach can be unhealthy and can lead kids to specialize too early in a particular activity, have recurrent overuse injuries, or succumb to the effects of pressure and prematurely quit their sport.” He is absolutely correct, and I saw a similar situation evolve over time. During my freshman soccer season in high school, one of our Captains at the time was a terrific soccer player. He had the ability to continue playing soccer at the next level, but he burnt out before he could. His dad was always forcing him to go to practice and games when he was younger, and during his senior season, you could tell he was just fed up with it all. During the season, he claimed he tore his groin muscle, but magically, he would be fine enough to play in a big game after sitting out for weeks and weeks complaining about his torn muscle. Well, there was no doubt that he was faking the injury and I could tell and so could the team. As expected, he quit soccer entirely after we lost in the play-offs.
There is no question it is tough on the parents in trying to encourage but not force because it is a very thin line. However, I do not care how old the child is, if they are begging their parents to drive them to practice or sitting in the car waiting to leave, then that is a clear cut sign that the child needs to be encouraged and helped because it is obvious they want to get better.
Parents are an important role in the development of a child in sports. Most parents want their child to at least try a sport to just see what sports are like. I think when parents begein to live through their children, then there is a problem.
ReplyDeleteIf a father is coaching Little League or Pop-Warner Football, I do not see that much of a problem because at such a young age the children are still just learning the basics of the game. Parents get caught up in there children sometimes and try to show everyone how their child is God's gift to the world. The only problem with this, when children move up levels in sports there are always some that just cannot make the jump.
A parent should not be conserned with the future of thier child until college. If at the time a child is about to attend college he/she is still highly competitive in a sport then the parents should help in the decision making. In the Stricker article about Sports Skill Development in Kids, he says, "the ultimate goal is to be able to support the growth and maturation of children along the way with as little pressure as possible." When parents start pushing thier kids in High School, I still think that is too early. During my time in high school, I participated in 3 different sports. At least once a season there would be some new freshman, whose parents are trying to convince the coach to put their son on varsity.
Parents need to try and relax and let their children enjoy the sport. Coaching is a help, but not when you still coaching your kid in High School. If a parents child is a superstar in youth sports, hold off on bragging because kids do not make millions of dollars for Little League records.
I think that no matter what choices a kid makes involving what the want to do as a hobby, it is a parents duty to back them up in support. For me, growing up it was all about sports. I was outside all of the time playing football, soccer, hockey, golf, baseball, and every sport possible out in the yard. Fortunately for me, I had very supporting parents. If I wanted to practice something, not one of them would hesitate to take me out in the yard, if I had a soccer tournament on a saturday morning at 7 am a couple towns over, I was being woken up by my dad anxious to get on the road and watch me play.
ReplyDeleteWhen teaching me about sports, they seemed to focus on the important aspects. Things like commitment, team work, obedience, and most of all enjoyment. This is where I think the line is drawn for parents to become involved. Cheering is obviously a good thing as well, but that is to show their support for the team. When parents cross the line, and live through their children and concentrate on the wrong things, then uneccessary pressure is put on to the kids. "Much of the pressure today stems from unrealistic expectations placed upon young children" (Stricker, 109). This is totally unneccessary and takes away the fun for the kids. What does it matter if the kids team wins or loses? Parents should be concentrating on did your kid enjoy himself?
Playing in the youth basketball program of my town for many years with all of my best friends, we loved when it was time for the all- star season and the starting line up was 5 of our best friends. In middle school, and high school, it was the same thing. Always the same 5 playing so well together, and having so much fun together. The best player out of us 5 went on to play in college. He was and is so good, he can play like anything else. The only problem was that his dad and his grandfather were so hard on him during the games, it mentally took him out of the game. He would get yelled at in the middle of the game if he missed a shot, made a bad pass or did anything that a normal athlete does in the course of the game. In some games it was so bad, he would literally ask to come out and sit on the bench. For us as a team, it was very frustrating having our best player sit out for such a stupid thing. I can only imagine the way he felt, hearing it during the game then getting an ear full on the car ride home. We can joke about it now with him, and mock the things his dad used to say because to us now its funny, but when it was occuring it was very hard for the kid to deal with.
Unfortunately this story happens all over the place. Parents do not realize it but they are making it worse for the kids. I remember my friend saying one time that he was going to quit playing just so he could piss off his dad. Imagine hearing your own kid say that?
I think it is crucial to a child to have a parent there to support them in sports. As a young athlete, kids don't realize their responsibilities to the team, and may need a little extra push in the right direction from supportive parents. There are the "psycho" parents out there who try to live their own athletic careers through their children, and end up pushing them to hard, which I do not agree with.
ReplyDeleteEven if a young child seems to be a prodigy at a specific sport, it is not in the best interest of the parents to push them too hard because it may actually push them away from that sport (Stricker 109). From personal experience however, I can say that parental support was key for me in my soccer career because at a young age I wasn't sure if that is what I wanted to play. My parents told me I could play whatever I wanted, and that freedom made me more comfortable, and more comfortable to chose soccer.
According to Stone and Oliver 165, soccer specifically involves movement of all parts of the body, and at a young age if pushed to hard, a child could suffer bodily damage. If the parents push their kids to play at an extreme level , (which young athletes are not supposed to), their bodies could break down.
In conclusion, it is important for parents to be involved with their children in sports, but only if they are supportive and not pushy.
As a current student, I would like to personally thank all the parents that contribute and help there child whether it is academics or sports! Being a student athlete my mom stresses the fact that academics are most important and I agree. My mom played softball when she was young as well as my grandma. That could be one reason that I play. specially as a pitcher I have been pushed no only by my parents but by my teammates and coaches as well!
ReplyDeleteMy first year of high school ball, i was pitchng every day a week for two hours a day. i was lucky enough only to get a pinched nerve. i now know my boundaries and when to say no. I hurt my back so bad that i couldnt play and needed physical therapy for 8 weeks.
as a pitcher i feel obligated to be a "captain" and be able to be the best pitcher and not SUCK.
as for my mother she constantly gets on my nerves about softball, and my grades..truly they dont know that they are doing it. word of advice is to tell them.
just be lucky to have parents and to be thankful you have people are there to support you!