Kids and Sports in America: The Problems
A few months ago, I mentioned in a post that one of my objectives in putting myself through an Olympic-level training progam was so that I could speak from experience about "why the kids aren't alright." Apparently, other observers of American sports also see that there are serious problems with our system.
Last weekend, there was a very interesting article in the Parade magazine that comes with the Sunday paper, about problems with kids' sports programs in this country. These problems range from high pressure and early retirement, to the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs, to violence by parents of athletes. What are the root causes of these unpleasant symptoms of the American sports system? How did the activities that are supposed to be fun and healthy for kids turn out to be so destructive?
The role and purpose of sports in our society and how sports are portrayed has a lot to do with the ideas and attitudes that have developed around them. Not only is there tremendous competition for college scholarships, pro deals, or a shot at Olympic glory, but people are also beginning to realize the full, life-changing implications of being a great athlete. It has been shown that athletic success can literally vault a person over several levels of the American "caste system" by being a stepping stone to connections with people of wealth, power, and status. It can be a way out of poverty for kids who seem to have no other chance. Even in a sport like speedskating, where, as skater parent Don Nelson says, "There's no pot of gold at the end of this tunnel," people still know that an Olympic gold medal can change an athlete's life forever.
It is no surprise, then, that the high stakes of athletic success lead to a great deal of pressure. Child athletes are often pushed too hard by parents or coaches, and also put a great deal of pressure on themselves. So many sad stories come out of these situations - stories of mental burnout and overtraining, eating disorders, steroid abuse, parent/coach violence, or premature retirement. I also believe that the high-pressure environment of so many sports programs causes many kids to avoid sports altogether, which can lead to problems such as obesity and a general lack of fitness.
Here in America, we have a serious problem with obesity, as well as other conditions related to a lack of physical activity and poor nutrition, such as heart failure and diabetes. These problems have serious consequences for our entire society, mainly in terms of the ballooning cost of medical care. I really believe that if our sports culture could be changed so that children were introduced to sports in a more positive way, then they would be much more likely to see physical exercise as a fun activity that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Sadly, there seems to be no middle ground between those elite "mini-adults" and their parents who are focused on college scholarships or pro deals, and those kids who refuse to do any physical activity at all, but would rather sit around watching TV or playing video games. Of course, this is an oversimplification, but there really are too few opportunities in sports for kids who find out early on that they don't have Olympic-level potential.
In many ways, the Europeans have a much healthier view of sports participation. Taking speedskating as an example, I decided to ask my Norwegian roommate, Jannicke Mikkelsen, what she thought. I said to her, "With a sport like speedskating, here in this country, if you are not actually training for the Olympics, it is seen as totally uncool and a waste of time." I asked her if the perception is any different in Europe, and she replied that "In Norway, everybody skates, and only a few know that they have a chance at the Olympics."
Speedskating can be a fun, healthy sport that a person could enjoy for a lifetime. Isn't it sad that we have kids quitting because they know they'll never make it to the Olympics, or former elite athletes who have left the ice forever in disgust upon retiring, or adult skaters who feel the need to misrepresent their Olympic chances in order to justify participating in this sport? Why is it that it takes a rare kind of person with an unusual kind of interior strength to say, "I speedskate for the fun of it, and that's good enough for me?" This is the reality of the culture we have created in our own little world.
In the broader spectrum of American sports, it all comes down to the maintenance of a certain image. For example, the guy who lives down the street and spends $1000 a year on pro team apparel and football tickets doesn't want to know that when his favorite player was a kid, his mom used to feed him diuretics so he could make weight to play in a lower division so that he could be a star and get noticed by scouts. And the pro team owners, managers, and publicists don't want the guy down the street to know these things either, so that he will continue to buy jerseys and hats and tickets and beer.
I think the system of sport on the professional or elite amateur level will be very difficult to change as long as there are athletes willing to put themselves through hell in order to achieve a dream; as long as there is an audience willing to pay for their effort; and as long as there are managers who are more than willing to capitalize on the whole situation. But is the function of youth sports merely a means to this end, or can we make kids' sports a better experience overall?
If so, then the whole culture of youth sports needs to change. The Parade article suggests that concerned groups of parents, coaches, and community leaders should commit to providing the right kind of environment for kids in sports. We need to provide an environment that is lower in stress and free of violence. It might help, especially on the lower levels, to emphasize skill development over winning. We should emphasize positive feedback and provide positive role models, not the kind who promote a "win-at-all-cost" philosophy.
A major reason why we want kids to have fun in sports and to stay involved in sports is to learn that physical activity is fun, feels good, and is a necessary and healthy part of life. I believe that the problems we have with our kids' sports programs in this country play a role in turning kids off to physical activity, and that this has serious consequences down the road in terms of obesity and other unhealthy conditions. Promoting a culture where kids are introduced to sports in a positive way can be the first step to making physical exercise a lifelong choice.
A few months ago, I mentioned in a post that one of my objectives in putting myself through an Olympic-level training progam was so that I could speak from experience about "why the kids aren't alright." Apparently, other observers of American sports also see that there are serious problems with our system.
Last weekend, there was a very interesting article in the Parade magazine that comes with the Sunday paper, about problems with kids' sports programs in this country. These problems range from high pressure and early retirement, to the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs, to violence by parents of athletes. What are the root causes of these unpleasant symptoms of the American sports system? How did the activities that are supposed to be fun and healthy for kids turn out to be so destructive?
The role and purpose of sports in our society and how sports are portrayed has a lot to do with the ideas and attitudes that have developed around them. Not only is there tremendous competition for college scholarships, pro deals, or a shot at Olympic glory, but people are also beginning to realize the full, life-changing implications of being a great athlete. It has been shown that athletic success can literally vault a person over several levels of the American "caste system" by being a stepping stone to connections with people of wealth, power, and status. It can be a way out of poverty for kids who seem to have no other chance. Even in a sport like speedskating, where, as skater parent Don Nelson says, "There's no pot of gold at the end of this tunnel," people still know that an Olympic gold medal can change an athlete's life forever.
It is no surprise, then, that the high stakes of athletic success lead to a great deal of pressure. Child athletes are often pushed too hard by parents or coaches, and also put a great deal of pressure on themselves. So many sad stories come out of these situations - stories of mental burnout and overtraining, eating disorders, steroid abuse, parent/coach violence, or premature retirement. I also believe that the high-pressure environment of so many sports programs causes many kids to avoid sports altogether, which can lead to problems such as obesity and a general lack of fitness.
Here in America, we have a serious problem with obesity, as well as other conditions related to a lack of physical activity and poor nutrition, such as heart failure and diabetes. These problems have serious consequences for our entire society, mainly in terms of the ballooning cost of medical care. I really believe that if our sports culture could be changed so that children were introduced to sports in a more positive way, then they would be much more likely to see physical exercise as a fun activity that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Sadly, there seems to be no middle ground between those elite "mini-adults" and their parents who are focused on college scholarships or pro deals, and those kids who refuse to do any physical activity at all, but would rather sit around watching TV or playing video games. Of course, this is an oversimplification, but there really are too few opportunities in sports for kids who find out early on that they don't have Olympic-level potential.
In many ways, the Europeans have a much healthier view of sports participation. Taking speedskating as an example, I decided to ask my Norwegian roommate, Jannicke Mikkelsen, what she thought. I said to her, "With a sport like speedskating, here in this country, if you are not actually training for the Olympics, it is seen as totally uncool and a waste of time." I asked her if the perception is any different in Europe, and she replied that "In Norway, everybody skates, and only a few know that they have a chance at the Olympics."
Speedskating can be a fun, healthy sport that a person could enjoy for a lifetime. Isn't it sad that we have kids quitting because they know they'll never make it to the Olympics, or former elite athletes who have left the ice forever in disgust upon retiring, or adult skaters who feel the need to misrepresent their Olympic chances in order to justify participating in this sport? Why is it that it takes a rare kind of person with an unusual kind of interior strength to say, "I speedskate for the fun of it, and that's good enough for me?" This is the reality of the culture we have created in our own little world.
In the broader spectrum of American sports, it all comes down to the maintenance of a certain image. For example, the guy who lives down the street and spends $1000 a year on pro team apparel and football tickets doesn't want to know that when his favorite player was a kid, his mom used to feed him diuretics so he could make weight to play in a lower division so that he could be a star and get noticed by scouts. And the pro team owners, managers, and publicists don't want the guy down the street to know these things either, so that he will continue to buy jerseys and hats and tickets and beer.
I think the system of sport on the professional or elite amateur level will be very difficult to change as long as there are athletes willing to put themselves through hell in order to achieve a dream; as long as there is an audience willing to pay for their effort; and as long as there are managers who are more than willing to capitalize on the whole situation. But is the function of youth sports merely a means to this end, or can we make kids' sports a better experience overall?
If so, then the whole culture of youth sports needs to change. The Parade article suggests that concerned groups of parents, coaches, and community leaders should commit to providing the right kind of environment for kids in sports. We need to provide an environment that is lower in stress and free of violence. It might help, especially on the lower levels, to emphasize skill development over winning. We should emphasize positive feedback and provide positive role models, not the kind who promote a "win-at-all-cost" philosophy.
A major reason why we want kids to have fun in sports and to stay involved in sports is to learn that physical activity is fun, feels good, and is a necessary and healthy part of life. I believe that the problems we have with our kids' sports programs in this country play a role in turning kids off to physical activity, and that this has serious consequences down the road in terms of obesity and other unhealthy conditions. Promoting a culture where kids are introduced to sports in a positive way can be the first step to making physical exercise a lifelong choice.
posted by Eva at 5:04 PM
<< Home