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What’s Happening on YOUR Fields?
John EnghKate Dilworth
Today’s Session
• NAYS – Who we are…• Evolution of Youth Sports• Current Challenges• Self-Assessment Exercise• Recommendations for Communities• Youth Sports Tools• Wrap-up
Educational Programs:• Coaches• Volunteer administrators• Professional administrators• Officials • Parents
Youth Development Programs:• Start Smart Sports Development Programs• Hook a Kid on Golf• Ready, Set, RUN!
Over the past 30 years, NAYS has expanded…
Nays overview
A Brief History of Youth Sports in
America…
• Sandlot/Pickup Games• Professional and college influence• Local “organizations”• National Organizations
– Pop Warner – 1929– Little League – 1939 – AYSO – 1964
• All Stars• Youth Sports Associations• Travel Teams• Where are we headed?
Sports Then & Now
WHEN KIDS PLAY
Sports 30 Years Ago: Played every day with the neighborhood kids for hours on end, whatever sport was in season.
Now: Kids only play and practice real sports when adults formally organize them. The rest of the time they are playing video versions of sport on Wii, Playstation, and X-Box. Rarely do you see kids organize informal, real games of their own.
Sports Then & NowWHERE KIDS PLAY (Facilities)30 Years Ago: Kids of all ages went into a backyard or nearby vacant lot to play.
Now: Kids play on perfectly manicured and lined fields.
TRAINING (Getting Better)30 Years Ago: Kids played against other neighborhood kids of all ages and had to get better in order to compete with the older ones. They often played on their own to get better.
Now: Kids attend dedicated sports facilities where a paid instructor provides expert tutelage on a regular basis. They attend multiple summer camps and many play on travel teams that formally train throughout the year. They also may receive speed and agility training.
Sports Then & Now
EQUIPMENT30 Years Ago: Kids were lucky to have a glove in the family and you shared bats with the neighbor kids. The bases were a cracked Frisbee, a piece of cardboard or a worn out dirt spot.
Now: T-ballers have their own bats, batting helmets, batting gloves, and bat bags to carry all their gear.
UNIFORMS30 Years Ago: Uniforms? It was whatever you were wearing that day. T-shirt, jeans, and an old, worn-out, sweat-stained baseball cap with the logo from the local team.
Now: Full uniforms with names on the back of each jersey and customized bat bags.
Sports Then & NowCHOOSING TEAMS30 Years Ago: Kids picked their own teams by choosing up sides. The person who got the first pick, usually determined by who had the last hand on the bat handle, got the first pick and the other person got the next two picks.
Now: Roster is made up by coach or community league using complicated drafts and evaluations.
RULES OF THE GAME30 Years Ago: Kids made up their own rules to fit the situation. If the ball goes over the house in left field it is an automatic home run. But if it goes over the fence in right field, where the vicious dog lives, it's an automatic out. And YOU have to climb the fence.
Now: All rules are listed in the official Little League Rule Book.
Sports Then & NowMAKING THE CLOSE CALLS30 Years Ago: Kids got to decide all the close plays. Sometimes the older, more dominant player said, "I get the call or I'll beat you up." Other times the kid who brought the ball got the call, otherwise he was going to take his ball and go home.
Now: Uniformed paid umpires make all the calls.
DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP30 Years Ago: You had to develop leadership skills to influence who was on your team, getting the close calls, and keeping your friends focused and on track so you could win the game.
Now: Adults make 90% of the decisions in youth sports: choosing teams, making out lineups, deciding close plays, handling disagreements, etc.
Sports Then & NowREWARDS FOR PLAYING30 Years Ago: Kids enjoyed the intrinsic rewards of competing and playing with friends. You had bragging rights over your friends or the next neighborhood.
Now: Every kid now is given a shiny, new trophy in t-ball just for showing up. They seek and have come to expect the extrinsic rewards more so than the intrinsic.
REFRESHMENTS30 Years Ago: Drinking out of a garden hose with hot, rubber-tasting water when the game was done.
Now: Moms and dads are assigned "Snack" where they bring Gatorade bottles and chips or Oreos for each player. Many times the highlight of the game in the kids' minds is the snack they receive, not any good plays that might have been made.
The Changing Culture of Youth
Sports
Age of Participants
For the Parents or the Children?
Travel/Select/Elite
Specialization
What positive aspects would you want children to gain from youth
sports participation?
• FUN!!!• self-confidence• self-esteem• skill building• social skills• sportsmanship• fitness• respect• discipline• role model
• follow through• responsibility• play by the rules• communication• teamwork• winning/losing• motivation• commitment• leadership• positive outlook
What positive aspects would you want children to gain from youth
sports participation?
The Sport Parent Paradox• Parents enroll their children in sport because
they believe that sport participation has tangible benefits – and they are right!
• It IS a fun, safe and healthy activity
• Shift Happens - Parents voluntarily sign their children up for a fun activity and then do all they can to eliminate the fun their children are having
• #1 Issue - Identification
Identification in Today’s Youth Sport Culture is the #1 Issue
• Identification - living through your child’s experience but applying your own set of values
• Identification is based on outcomes– winning– all-star teams– playing time– fitting into society
Adults are Product OrientedWho won?Did my child play?How many hits/tackles/points did they get?
Children are Process OrientedWas it fun?
We must be
ProactiveNOT
Reactive
“He who has the gold makes the rules!”
PART 1 Adopt a community philosophy that makes youth
sports safe and positive for childrenPART 2 Appoint a professional youth sports administrator
to ensure adherence to the philosophy PART 3 Holding programs accountable
Recommendations for Communities
Self Assessment Exercise
Part 1:Adopt a Community Youth Sports Philosophy
• What’s a community philosophy– Should complement your existing
departmental mission statement and general philosophies
– Hold EVERY program accountable to the those standards
• How?– Hold a working meeting with local leaders to
develop the philosophy– Have leaders sign acknowledgement
{Community} Youth Sports PhilosophyWe are committed to providing and supporting recreational
youth sports opportunities with emphasis on sportsmanship, learning skills, positive attitude, confidence, high moral standards and a love of the game.
We believe in the benefits and attraction of youth sports as a means to teach the children of this community values and skills that benefit them throughout life -physically, socially and emotionally.
In order to realize the true value of youth sports participation and to provide a safe, positive and fun environment for children and their families, we must hold high standards among our programs as well as all users of our community’s youth sports facilities.
All participants, parents, coaches, and youth sports administrators are expected to support this philosophy.
SAMPLE:
• First introduced in 1987, revised in 2008
• Nine standards provide national policy guidance
• Offers specific policies and procedures
• Assists decision making process
Qualifications: college degree, specific training in youth sports administration, commitment to positive and safe sports for children, leadership skills, excellent communication skills, highly organized
Oversees the entire youth sports operation:– Acts as a liaison between the recreation department and community
leaders and elected officials– Responsible for working with outside sports programs – Ensures youth sports philosophy, policies and procedures are clearly
understood and followed by all sports program partners– Responsible for providing or overseeing requirements for all volunteers,
including volunteer administrators and coaches– Respond accordingly to all complaints and conflicts– Commitment to quality – set example for community with own programs– Stay up to date on national youth sports topics, news and trends
Part 2:Professional Youth Sports Administrator
Part 2:Professional Youth Sports Administrator
• Establishing Requirements– Insurance– Residency– Purpose Statement– Established Non-Profit– Volunteer Training (Administrators, Coaches,
Officials)– Volunteer Screening– Defined Parent Orientation– Signed Acknowledgement of policies & philosophies
Part 3:Hold Programs Accountable - Requirements
Sanctioning/Eligibility Process• Qualifying for field use
Prioritizing/Approval of Field Use• Prioritizing Use• Oversight of the process• Permitting procedures
Annual Sports Partners Meeting• Scheduled Annual (minimal) Meeting• Attendance Requirements• Review Procedures/Philosophy• Updating Documents• Verification of Requirements
Site Visits – Spot Checks • Philosophy being upheld????
Part 3:Hold Programs Accountable - Oversight
Tools to Utilize• Recommendations for Communities• National Standards For Youth Sports• Professional Development for Youth Sports
Administrators
• Training for Volunteer League Leaders• Training for Volunteer Coaches• Orientation for Parents• Effective Screening Program• Evaluation Systems (Coach & League)
NYSAA Overview• Volunteer Coach Management• Participants/Kids• Officials• Dealing with Parents • Volunteer Boards• Protecting Yourself from Embezzlement • Youth Sports & the Law• Other Topics:
– Insurance– Child Abuse Prevention– Fundraising– Marketing/Social Networking
Every NYSAA member gets a personalized website with tons of tools and resources…
Four components of providing quality youth sports programs:
1. Screening – Guidelines & Management2. Training – Live and Online Clinics – continuing
education – membership benefits - value3. Evaluation – Coach Rating System4. Accountability – Code of Conduct/ Reporting & Revocation Procedures
It’s not just about coach training…
Now at NAYS.org, every NYSCA member gets a personalized website with
tons of tools and resources…
Coaching Forum: Ask questions & share knowledge with over 150,000 NYSCA members
Coach Ratings: Provides feedback from parent evaluations all season long
SportingKid Magazine: Youth sport magazine packed with news, tips & expert info
Skills & Drills: Video and printable exercises for practice preparation
Educational Resources: Additional content relevant to coaching youth sports
Member area highlights…
Chapter Management
Establishing a chapter gives you access to a number of tools to ensures your youth sports volunteer workforce is made up of quality, reliable individuals. In addition to the NYSCA coach training program you have access to:
• Background Screening & Management
• Online Evaluation Tool• Accountability Policies and Procedures
Plus many other youth sports resources
View members :All relevant information is available in one database
Manage your Coaches
Select a member for more detailed information:Edit information, check background information or initiate an online evaluation for a coach.
Manage your Coaches
Background Screening
Using your own screening system:Chapters can enter their own screening results so that they can be viewed in the system as well
Use NAYS program:If you register for the NAYS system you can view results in the Chapter Management system*
*stored securely by screening company
View All Results:Historical results can be exported to a spreadsheet for management.
View Individual Results:Results can be used to follow-up with coach complaints or to reward coaches for great service.
“Rate Your Coach” Evaluations
View Categories:You and coaches will be able to see the areas where they need to improve their coaching.
Our Vision for Every Community
Certified Youth Sports Administrator
Trained League Administrators and/or Professional Staff
Screened, Trained, Evaluated Coaches/Volunteers held Accountable for their actions
Knowledgeable Parents
Working Together for the KIDS
