Column - "The New P.E. & Sports Dimension" - # 6/2 January 2002

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DISCUSSION

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I have coached youth sports for many years. I myself have gotten caught up in the winning aspects of the game, even though I knew it wasn't right, I could justify it to myself by think that it was just my competitive nature. Truth be told it was my competitive nature. Look at our society. We hold professional athletes up as idols and roll models. I mean come on Danny Almonte didn't happen by accident. The coach, the father, all of us are not innocent. But the boy.. he is innocent for he just followed our lead.

I have changed my focus and now understand that it's not about winning but about trying to teach the children. Not just skills for the sport, but skills for life.

Fortunately there are organizations out there who are taking the lead in changing youth sports. Positive Coaching Alliance, Sports Media, and Y-Coach are just of few of the organizations I know of that are working towards changing the culture of youth sports.

1) What procedures other than those discussed above exist that may be used to facilitate a child centered environment in youth sports?
I don't think you can really stop it all together unless you get the parents to support and back this idea. I agree with the clustered random distribution idea as a way to curb some of it, however, you are always going to have people that find ways to circumvent the rules. UNLESS you change the culture.

2) Are you aware of recruiting and/or team-building practices in your local youth sport league? How are the rules broken and what is done to control such behaviors?
Of course I have seen recruiting and team-building practices in our youth sports league. We even have an organization in our community called Select Baseball.

As a commissioner I have seen other commissioners who I know recruit and build "powerhouse" teams point the finger at other coaches about the very same thing and try to get them diqualified to give themselves a better chance of winning the championship. I have seen coaches send the message to a 7 year old that they aren't good enought to continue playing thier chosen sport anymore.

Unfortunately not much is done in our organizations as long as you know how to circumvent the rules.

3) Should league administrators organize pre-season tournaments after which team roster readjustments would take place? How would you suggest implementing such procedures? In case your answer is "no," explain your reasons.
I don't think this would work unless the rules also established as not to allow a late addition to the roster, because you would just have coaches tell kids not to show up for the pre-season tournament.

I liked Diego Crespo's idea of redistributing coaches. Can you imagine a coach who took all the "best" talent that he could find having to coach against that team the following year. That big ego of being the great coach would go out the window pretty quickly wouldn't it.

4) Should volunteer coaches be allowed to keep last year's dominating champions or should the talent be redistributed at the onset of each season? Explain your view.
As stated previously, I think redistributing the coach would stop the problem quick, because if a coach knew he wouldn't continue to have the same team every year. He would get so caught up in trying to build the dominant team.

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February 2002 - Dr. Lee E. Brown will start with a new article. .

Have a good discussion,

co-ordinator

Guy Van Damme