Recreation leaders must be proactive and intentional
My dad used to tell me that if you can’t explain to someone what you do during a short elevator ride, your business is too complicated.
I’ve thought about that a lot over the years, and what I like to say about NAYS on an elevator ride is quite simple: We listen to recreation professionals—the ones responsible for the volunteers who run youth sports in their communities—and we build solutions to help them overcome challenges.
When we began this journey in 1981, we started with the most fundamental need: training volunteer coaches. It was clear that the most direct way to improve youth sports was to help coaches become the best they can be. After all, they spend the most time with the most important part of the program—the kids.
That’s why we launched what was initially called the National Youth Sports Coaches Association, built on the belief that better coaches create better programs. Training remains at the core of what we do—but over the decades, we’ve learned that training alone isn’t enough.
Bigger Than Background Checks
In our administrator courses, we often say, “If you want professional results, you have to treat volunteers like employees.” And just like in any workplace, that begins with screening.
In youth sports, screening typically means a background check. But in the employment world, a background check is the final step—not the first. Before an organization gets there, a leader interviews the person, checks references, and makes sure the prospect aligns with the program’s goals. If administrators don’t do this, they’re just rolling the dice.
Only after that vetting process comes training—and today’s training must be smarter and more comprehensive. It should be accessible and cover essential topics: concussions, cardiac arrest, emergency planning, heat illness, and, of course, the teaching of the fundamentals of the chosen sport. Every child deserves a coach who knows what he or she is doing, both in safety and skill development.
Once someone is screened and trained, what comes next? Evaluation. It’s easy to overlook with volunteers, but similar to the workplace, feedback matters. Administrators can’t wait until the season ends to do a handwritten parent survey. They should be evaluating coaches during the season and offering constructive feedback to help them improve in real time. And here's the bonus: when parents are given a voice through anonymous feedback, they feel more engaged and less frustrated.
Finally, the last step: accountability. If a volunteer isn’t doing the job—or worse, violates behavioral standards—there must be real consequences. Expectations should be clear from the beginning, and discipline should be fair and consistent.
So, whether someone is running a youth league or managing a full recreation department, that person should remember to follow the full process—screening, training, evaluation, and accountability.
Recreation professionals already do these to some extent. The question is how proactive—and intentional—they are about each one. I can promise this: if an administrator tracks and improves these four areas, they’ll obtain a clear picture of the quality of a youth-sports program—and a roadmap for making it even better.