Photo Credit: Courtesy of NAYS
Having spent my entire career in sports—particularly organized sports for kids—I feel like I have seen it all. What started as a way to give kids the joy of simply playing sports for the fun of it has taken a turn—a very disappointing one.
Public-recreation facilities that once were organized by local recreation departments are being given away to private-interest groups, known these days as “travel teams,” that appear only interested in the elite, athletically talented kids. These groups hire “professional” coaches with the sheer intent of selling families on the idea that their involvement in training kids will have a much better chance of securing scholarships.
But what about the other 90 percent, those players who maybe aren’t as talented but still need (and I emphasize NEED) to play sports? Isn’t it the role of recreation professionals to make sure facilities aren’t given away to elite groups at the expense of these other youngsters?