Defining a Model Youth Sports Program

(Fourth in a series)

Finding advice on what constitutes a "model" youth sports program is as elusive as finding evidence of alien life. Getting administrators to agree on how a "good" youth sports program should be organized is even more difficult Although much has been written and said about what is wrong with youth sports, and who's to blame for its problems, scarce attention has been paid to how to help organizations focus on their most important priority - the kids.

There is almost universal agreement that having young children participate in organized sports is a valuable experience. Yet there is no consensus on what that value is, or how it can be assured for every child that participates. Each parent or child has different reasons for participating and when those reasons are inconsistent, problems arise. When expectations are clearly stated and communicated, and when parents know what to expect from administrators, coaches, and officials, everyone can enjoy, and benefit from, the experience.

So how do you go about creating an organization that ensures positive experiences, age-appropriate competition and instruction, and a focus on participation and fun? It's not easy! While there are lots of organizations that are "doing it the right way," there is not a lot of direction available to help in emulating their successes. Even so, administrators can develop organizations that balance participation and fun with competition and winning, and can ensure that every child in the program has a positive experience. However, it takes a committed team of volunteers who are willing to develop and document the appropriate principles, implement and communicate guidelines and processes, and work diligently to uphold them.

One of the most important steps in developing a well-respected program is to define and document all of the aspects of your program, from the mission statement to interviewing and selecting coaches to defining a grievance process. Ensuring that everyone involved in the organization has a clear understanding of the organization policies and procedures is an effective way to head off problems.

The Youth Sports Charter

The Rutgers Youth Sports Research Council is a division of the Department of Exercise Science and Sports Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Their research is centered on the influence of physical activity and organized sports on the healthy development of children and adolescents.

Among the resources available is a model for a Youth Sports Charter. Developed in partnership with the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association, and in conjunction with a select group of individuals who administer outstanding youth sports programs, the team identified the core elements of a quality youth sports program. What emerged from their work was a set of guidelines that highly effective youth sports organizations have in common. A Youth Sports Charter: Guidelines for Recreational Youth Sport Agencies is structured to allow organizations to employ a variety of processes and methods to meet the prescribed guidelines.

The Youth Sports Charter covers many aspects of running a successful organization, from developing a mission statement to instituting financial oversight and processes. Key elements of the charter include recruiting and training volunteer coaches and officials, developing disciplinary and grievance processes, and educating parent and players about the organization's philosophies.

Positive Youth Sports Model

The Positive Youth Sports Model was developed by Community Health Solutions after examining information it collected on athletic performance, positive youth development, teamwork, and leadership. Its primary objective is positive youth development, defined as the process of helping young people grow into healthy, ethical, caring, and responsible people. Their development is influenced by their families and by the community around them, of which youth sports can be one of the most important influences.

The Positive Youth Sports Model uses sports instruction to teach seven important life skills that are essential to the success in both sports and life: School engagement, healthy living, positive character, self-direction, teamwork, leadership, and community engagement. The site offers The Power Series as a set of handout tools to help coaches and parents in teaching the skills through sports. Each tool is designed as a one page handout based on the one of the life skills of the model, and there are tips for coaches on how to deliver and use the handouts to encourage participation.

The second part of the model encourages coaches and administrators to implement T.E.A.M. Leadership: Teach, Enforce, Affirm, Model. The T.E.A.M. Leadership model is a simple approach to helping kids learn positive life skills.

Those are just a two examples of tools and approaches to use in helping to create a fun, rewarding experience for the kids who play youth sports in your programs. Simply following a script or completing a document will not transform your organization, however. What goes into those documents and processes is important, but the level of commitment to upholding the mission of your organization is what will determine how well your activities serve the needs of your young athletes. If your youth baseball program values participation and instruction over competition, then you can't look the other way when a coach decides to let players sit on the bench so that the team has a better chance to win. Conversely, if the star player never comes to practice but is always available for games, then your organization must have clear and well-known guidelines for how lack of attendance affects playing time, and must enforce them consistently and regardless of athletic skill.

Next: Defining and Modeling acceptable standards

Posted By: Jim Roynan

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