Welcome to the Educated Sports Parent! Here you will find information on a wide range of issues having to do with youth sports, including Readiness for Participation, Benefits of Participation, Developmentally Appropriate Program Modifications, Overuse Injuries, Supplements, and much more. This site is for parents, coaches, league administrators, or anyone who is interested in helping children to have the best youth sports experience possible.
You do not have to look far to find examples of what is wrong with youth sports. In fact, the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance gives youth sports a less than acceptable grade in its most recent report card. The Educated Sports Parent is aimed at giving those involved with youth sports the knowledge and tools to make the youth sports experience an enjoyable one for all involved.
The most important goal of any youth sports organization should be that every single participant has a fun and enjoyable time. Making youth sports fun for kids helps turn them on to a lifetime of physical activity. The current obesity epidemic among both children and adults underscores the need for keeping kids turned on to physical activity. We cannot afford to allow youth sports to be a negative experience that leaves children with little desire to continue being active as adults. Unfortunately, for many children it is.
I challenge you to browse through this site with an open mind. Many of the concepts and ideas may be new to you. They may be the opposite of everything society seems to tell us is important about sports. It is essential that we do everything in our power to ensure that youth sports leagues are meeting the needs of our children. I challenge you to hold them accountable.
The Educated Sports Parent
Baseball Modifications
Developmentally Appropriate Baseball Modifications T-Ball: Kindergarten-Second Grade Use kids as base coaches below 9th grade Use only 3-4 players in the field per batter to reduce standing around and boredom Play many mini-games at the same time Hold one...
Basketball Modifications
Developmentally Appropriate Basketball Modifications Kindergarten-Second Grade Use a play group style of organization for this group Use balls that are 28.5 cm in circumference or smaller Baskets should not be higher than 6′ Limit practices/games to one session...
General Modifications
Modifications to All Programs Equipment – Change the size of the equipment used depending on the age group. In tee ball this could mean using a large ball and a large bat to help kids make contact with the ball more frequently. Use softer equipment. Using softer...
Developmentally Appropriate Sports Program Modifications
It is no secret that our society views professional athletes as royalty, treating them as modern-day deities. The media shows glamorous images of the lifestyles of professional athletes, enticing images, luring, daring others to attempt to find this holy grail of...
Safety Precautions for Safer Sports
Safety Articles from the Educated Sports Parent Preventing Head Injuries in Soccer Safety Info on Other Sites Football Players Need Several Days to Recover from a Concussion Concussions Exact Toll on Football Players Long After They Retire Head Injuries and Brain...
Is My Child the Next Michael Jordan?
It is probably not hard to identify the “superstars” of any youth team. You all know them – maybe it’s even your child – and you all know what most of their parents are thinking, “My child is the next Michael Jordan (or Mia Hamm, or...