EYE ON THE PROFESSION
A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

In Reading, Mass., a father was fatally beaten by another father at their sons' hockey practice. A youth baseball coach in Florida broke the jaw of an umpire because of a disputed call. In Illinois, four football coaches and an 11-year-old player were injured in a brawl after a football game. These are recent headline stories. I'm sure in your town you could write a few of your own.

Did you know that 70 percent of the approximately 20 million children who participate in organized, out-of-school athletic programs will quit by the age of 13 because of unpleasant sports experiences. That's 17.5 million kids who are dropping out of sports and that's a shame.

Youth sports in its purest form "is the greatest tool we have in today's society to help children develop positive character traits and life values," says Fred Engh, president of the National Alliance For Youth Sports and author of the book Why Johnny Hates Sports. (This book should be required reading for any parent, coach, official or administrator.)

Engh points out several reasons why parents, coaches and even children are acting so badly. First, we are being desensitized by all the violence we see in the media, on our playing fields and even in our communities. Secondly, parents have unrealistic expectations for their child's future in youth sports. They want their child to be the next Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretsky or Dan Marino.

Third, some parents are living their lives vicariously through their child's sports experiences. They view their child's participation as their second chance to succeed and be a winner. If their child fails, they feel as though they have failed. This can have a crippling effect on a young athlete. Finally, there are those parents whose egos get in the way. They are determined to prove their child is the best at all costs. They are the ones berating the coach for not playing their child more and yelling at their child to get tough, concentrate, make it happen!

What is going on across our country? More importantly, what is happening on our ballfields, on our courts, in our facilities? And, ultimately, what are we as park and recreation professionals going to do about these displays of violence and poor sportsmanship in youth sports? By doing nothing, we are condoning this behavior.

Illinois is the leader in parks and recreation across the country. We must also be the leaders in tackling this horrendous trend. We must be committed to helping every child have a positive and safe experience in youth sports. This is a call to action. Here are some ideas regarding what you can do to improve your youth sports programs.

Written Policies

It is essential for your organization to have written policies and procedures concerning your youth sports programs. They ensure consistency among programs and facilities. They also establish a common dialogue among administrators, volunteers, officials, coaches, parents and players. In the case of a lawsuit or negligence claim, these policies will strengthen the organization's defenses. Finally, they demonstrate your agency's commitment to providing safe and positive sports experiences for all participants.

Written policies should include a mission statement and philosophy of your program which will set the tone and direction for your organization. They should also include sport specific rules so everyone is on the same page and arguments with the officials can be avoided. Of paramount importance are policies concerning conduct and behavior.

Partnering with NAYS

For several years, the IPRA has been a partner with the National Alliance For Youth Sports (NAYS), whose slogan is "Better Sports for Kids.. .Better Kids for Life." This organization has done a tremendous job establishing education programs for youth sports administrators, volunteers, coaches, officials, parents and kids.

In Jupiter, Fl., this year more than 2,000 parents participated in the nations first mandatory PAYS program

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implemented by the Jupiter-Tequesta Athletic Association (JTAA) which provides a variety of sports programs for over 6,000 youngsters annually. If the parents didn't attend the PAYS' sportsmanship training program, their child was not allowed to participate in JTAA's programs.

Sound harsh? Is this any tougher than dealing with the aftershocks of a parent head-butting a referee? Many of us make it mandatory for our administrators, coaches, and officials to receive proper training. Why not parents?

Follow Their Lead

If you investigate the PAYS program and for one reason or another decide it is not for your agency, you can still be proactive.

"There isn't a particular incident which sparked this effort," says Dan Novak, athletic supervisor from Wheaton Park District, about its training program for coaches, players, officials and parents including rules of conduct and standards of play. "We're trying to avoid a bad situation by taking preventative measures to stay ahead of the game."

Wheaton's first focus is on parents and developing a parents training program, which is currently awaiting park board approval. The district will be creating a video to be shown at a mandatory parent meeting that will include a guest speaker and question/answer session. Parents will be required to sign a code of conduct at that time. Novak then will be focusing on implementing training programs for coaches, officials and players, too.

In Springfield, Ill., Ted Campbell, a member of the Lincoln Heritage Soccer League, is spearheading a similar project. This organization is implementing a program to educate parents about acting responsibly at their child's sporting events. When parents register their child for soccer, they will be required to sign a code of ethics contract. They are also preparing a code of ethics for coaches.

"We want to bring the focus back to the kids," says Campbell. "We want to downplay winning and emphasize good sportsmanship."

Affiliate Organizations

Don't overlook your affiliate organizations (e.g., AYSO, youth football, etc.). These groups should also be required to provide proper training to their administrators, coaches, officials, parents and players. They should endorse the National Standards for Youth Sports. We create agreements with these organizations for use of our fields and facilities. We can require these groups to endorse our youth sports policies and procedures or require them to create their own per our approval. By doing this not only are we ensuring safe and positive youth sports experiences in district programs, but across the community as well.

I am challenging you to take action. I disagree with Vince Lombardi who said "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." I much prefer to be a proponent of the philosophy that it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game. *

National Standards for Youth Sports The National Standards for Youth Sports were created in 1988 by a panel of experts and have been endorsed by hundreds of recreation agencies across the nation. Encourage your department, administration, park board and leagues to demonstrate their support by formally (in writing) endorsing the National Standards for Youth Sports and Coaches Training. Please send a copy of the resolution or endorsement to the IPRA office. The IPRA board has endorsed theses standards for the past five years. Standard #1 - Proper Sports Environment Parents must consider and carefully choose the proper sports environment for their child, including the appropriate age and development for participation, the type of sport, the rules in the sport, the age range of the participants, and the proper level of physical and emotional stress. Standard #2 - Programs Based on the Well-being of Children Parents must select youth sports programs that are developed and organized to enhance the emotional, physical, social, and educational well-being of children. Standard #3 - Drug & Alcohol-Free Environment Parents must encourage a drug and alcohol-free environment for their children. Standard #4 - Part of a Child's Life Parents must recognize that youth sports are only a small part of a child's life. Standard #5 - Training Parents must insist that coaches are trained and certified. Standard #6 - Parents' Active Role Parents must make a serious effort to take an active role in the youth sports experience of their child, providing positive support as a spectator, coach, league administrator and/or caring parent. Standard #7 - Positive Role Models Parents must be positive role models, exhibiting sportsmanlike behavior at games, practices, and home while also giving positive reinforcement to their child and support to their child's coaches. Standard #8 - Parental Commitment Parents must demonstrate their commitment to their child's youth sports experience by annually signing a parental code of ethics. Standard #9 - Safe-playing Situations Parents must insist on safe-playing facilities, healthful playing situations and proper first-aid applications, should the need arise. Standard #10 - Equal Play Opportunity Parents, coaches and league administrators must provide equal sports play opportunity for all youth regardless of race, creed, sex, economic status or ability. Standard #11 - Drug & Alcohol-Free Adults Parents must be drug and alcohol-free at youth league sporting events. — The National Alliance for Youth Sports, www.nays.org

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