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do children want to play organized sports? What
are their goals, hopes and aspirations? Each child
has his or her own specific answers to these questions.
Understanding their reasons for wanting to play
sports is a critical first step towards helping
children to have the best possible experiences
in sport. Articles in magazines and newspapers
as well as some coaching textbooks often suggest
that socialization is a major value of participating
in youth sports. Certainly, learning to work together
in a group and striving to achieve group goals
are potentially important outcomes. Learning about
and practicing sportsmanship also is a worthwhile
goal as is understanding how to deal with success
and failure-winning and losing. Is this what the
kids expect to get out of playing organized sports?
Actually, NO! |
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Numerous research studies completed
in the last 20 years have asked youth sport participants
why they decided to participate in organized sports.
Although there is some variation in the ranked order
of the reasons that children cite, depending on the
particular sport they are playing, the top reasons are
very consistent. Children expect to have FUN, learn
SKILLS, develop FITNESS, and participate because they
enjoy COMPETITION.Socialization related reasons typically
is near the bottom of the list, with sportsmanship somewhere
in the middle. Winning and receiving individual awards
(medals, trophies, etc) also do not appear among the
top reasons. The bottom line is that childen want an
opportunity to participate in competitive sports, to
develop the skills and fitness that will allow them
to play effectively, and to have fun doing it.
Article courtesy: Decatursports.com
Article written by: Dr. Richard K. Stratton
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