Young athletes have valuable insights if given a chance to share
Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to moderate a great event hosted by Project Play Western New York. The primary focus was listening to kids who participate in sports and giving them a voice in how athletic programs are structured in their community. The bottom line was that youth-sports programs offer a great opportunity for adults to sit back, be quiet, and let the kids share what they like and dislike about sports participation.
The Importance Of Peer Connection
The setup was great. On the first panel, many well-known, local college coaches and players from the greater Buffalo area sat on one side of the stage, and several young athletes on the other. I raised many questions and scenarios for discussion and asked the coaches, athletes, and kids to advise recreational coaches about how to handle each one. We tackled topics like playing time, bad calls, practice schedules, and empathy for parents’ emotions, among many others.
As you can imagine, both the kids and coaches used a large portion of the discussion to talk about dealing with parents’ expectations. But what I found most compelling was the consensus from a very diverse group of boys and girls about what they enjoyed most about sports. Far and away, it wasn’t the winning, the competition, or anything about the particular sport they played. What each kid mentioned as most important was the relationships with their teammates—the bonds formed during preseason practices, games, and all the situations they work through together, as well as the time spent traveling to and from games. This was critical for them to enjoy participating.
So, of course, it was no surprise when participants told the audience that praise from parents and coaches was less important than recognition from their peers. What a great lesson for the coaches and administrators in attendance—and for the rest of us, too! Instead of homing in on individual drills and skills, there should be more focus on team-building activities during which young athletes can learn to work together. Also, hosting drills in which players can offer praise or even instruction to their peers can be a far more effective way to teach than relying solely on adults.
The True Value Of Youth Sports
I enjoyed listening to the kids’ points of view, and they became very expressive as they grew more comfortable. For anyone thinking about producing a similar event with young athletes in their community, here’s one hint: start with easier and more conversational topics before moving into complex questions. Moderators will achieve better results as the kids settle into the experience. And when they start opening up, that’s when adults will learn the most.
Listening to those young athletes reminded me of my playing days and the relationships I formed. In fact, I mentioned to the audience that almost every lifelong friend I have can be traced to my days playing sports. Some of the friendships I formed while playing baseball at 10 years old are still going strong today. And what do I remember about my league? A couple of big wins and some tough losses, sure. But more than anything, my best memories are the times my friends and I played together after practices or the many rides home in the car of the mom or dad whose turn it was to drive. Those are the moments that are so special in youth sports. At Project Play Western New York’s event, it was a great lesson for me to remember that participation is about so much more than the sport itself.
And the most important message for youth-sports administrators? Don’t assume everything is going well because parents aren’t complaining. Listen to the participants and what they want. You might hear something unexpected that can be a game-changer for the program.