The number of children playing team sports is falling, with experts blaming a parent-driven focus on elite travel clubs, specialization in one sport and pursuit of scholarships for hurting the country’s youth sports leagues.
Baseball, basketball, softball, soccer and touch football — long staples of American childhood — have all taken hits, worrying public health advocates, league organizers and professional sports organizations.
More than 26 million children ages 6 to 17 played team sports in 2014, down nearly 4 percent from 2009, according to a widely cited survey by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Total sports played have plummeted by nearly 10 percent.
Some of the drop-off is attributable to the recession, particularly in low-income urban areas. But experts fear larger socioeconomic forces are in play, especially in the suburbs, where the shift to elite competition over the past two decades has taken a growing toll: Children are playing fewer sports, and the less talented are left behind in recreational leagues with poor coaching, uneven play and the message that they aren’t good enough. Seventy percent of kids quit sports by age 13.
“The system is now designed to meet the needs of the most talented kids,” said Mark Hyman, a professor of sports management at George Washington University and the author of several books on youth sports. “We no longer value participation. We value excellence.”
Coach Rachel Freehand instructs her players as the Koa Field Hockey U-12 team runs a drill during practice in Wheaton, Md. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
[Petula Dvorak: Our 10-year-old decided to give ice hockey a try. It was awful.]
And those studying the issue say they know whom to blame: parents.
“The adults have won,” Hyman said. “If we wiped the slate clean and reinvented youth sports from scratch by putting the physical and emotional needs of kids first, how different would it look? Nothing would be recognizable.”
The Aspen Institute, the Clinton Foundation, and several amateur and professional sports organizations are working on solutions. Officials came together last month for a roundtable at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York and earlier this year at a Washington summit attended by the U.S. surgeon general. Dick’s Sporting Goods is appealing directly to customers, asking for donations at the checkout counter for Sports Matter, its new program to pump money into underfunded youth sports teams.
The toughest problem, Hyman said, is that no parent wants to “unilaterally disarm” and acknowledge that the system is broken
It’s just about impossible to stand up to it if you want your kids to play competitively,” said Elizabeth Pelcyger, a Washington mom whose son felt pressure even from his baseball teammates because he wasn’t playing year-round. “They could somehow point out that he hadn’t been playing since he was 4.”
Many of the adults trying to fix the problem remember a simpler, less competitive, less expensive time in youth sports. There were no travel teams, no faraway tournaments — now a $7 billion industry. There were pickup games with friends and leagues at neighborhood parks, with the focus mostly on fun. All of the kids in the neighborhood played together: the stars, the stalwarts, the daisy pickers. One of the most popular movies in the 1970s: “The Bad News Bears.
Amazingly, kids still made it to the major leagues.
“Sports was everything in my life,” said Dick’s chief executive Edward W. Stack, who played baseball and football. “I don’t remember every teacher I had, but I remember every coach I had. If I didn’t have those things, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Although Wall Street analysts have expressed some concern about how participation drops could affect the sporting goods business, Stack says: “The whole problem is very personal to me. This is not about business. I saw how my life was impacted through sports.”
Parent bragging rights
There is little debate over the value of playing sports for children, although the risk of concussions in contact sports, particularly football, has become a concern for parents, pediatricians and coaches. Still, active kids are less likely to be obese and are more likely to have higher test scores, attend college and have higher incomes. And when active kids become parents, they start the process again with their children. Built on Gatorade and shin guards, it is a virtuous, wholesome loop.
That is the idea. It is no longer the reality.
[Why my sports dreams for my son may not come true]
In the past two decades, sports has become an investment to many parents, one that they believe could lead to a college scholarship, even though the odds are bleak. Parents now start their kids in sports as toddlers, jockey to get them on elite travel teams, and spend small fortunes on private coaching, expensive equipment, swag and travel to tournaments. Youth sports is the new keeping up with the Joneses.
“The parents try to one-up each other,” said Tony Korson, founder of Koa Sports, a nonprofit sports league in Montgomery County that tries to provide an alternative to the youth sports status quo, with trained coaches and encouragement of multiple sports. “You get one parent who says, ‘I traveled to Tennessee for a tournament.’ Another says, ‘Well I flew to California.’ And then, ‘Oh my son is going to Puerto Rico.’ ”
Some parents — usually those on the outside — look at the situation with astonishment.
“What I want to know is why there are so many families that are into travel sports?” asked one poster on DC Urban Moms and Dads, a popular online chat board. Someone answered: “Honestly I think there are many parents who like it,” adding, “in their own mind they are thrilled at their son being an ‘elite’ athlete.” Another person replied: “What playing a travel/club sport can do is take a kid who is a decent athlete and give them a leg up.”
But nobody bothered to ask the kids what they wanted. Now, researchers are beginning to survey children. Not unsurprisingly, they have a different idea of what youth sports should be.
Amanda Visek, an exercise science professor at George Washington University, recently surveyed nearly 150 children about what they found fun about sports. (Her sample included kids who play travel and recreational sports.) The kids identified 81 factors contributing to their happiness.
Number 48: winning.
Also low on the list: playing in tournaments, cool uniforms and expensive equipment. High on the list: positive team dynamics, trying hard, positive coaching and learning. Whenever Visek presents her findings to win-hungry parents and coaches, there is a lot of pushback.
“They don’t want to believe it,” she said.
Yet the No. 1 reason why kids quit sports is that it’s no longer fun.
Fixing the problem
This is how youth sports looks now: The most talented kids play on travel teams beginning at age 7 (or sometimes younger), even though many athletes bloom much later; the best coaches (often dads who are former college athletes) manage travel teams, leaving rec leagues with helpful but less knowledgeable parents in charge; and coaches of elite teams pressure kids to play only one sport (the one they are coaching), even though studies show this leads to injuries, burnout and athletes who aren’t well rounded.
Particularly with specialization, parents believe they are making the right choice in pursuit of a scholarship.
“I’m done trying to tell parents that the odds are against them,” said Hyman, the GW professor. “That’s a loser’s game. They don’t want to believe that. The better approach is to tell them that what they’re doing is not helping you reach your goal.”
Those who study the issue are more worried about the millions of kids who just want to play sports for fun but get the least attention.
“The rec leagues become much less sustainable,” said Tom Farrey, a sportswriter running the Aspen Institute’s initiative on youth sports. “These kids kind of know they are second-class, and they check out quickly. The quality of coaching isn’t as good. The kids fall behind. It becomes a compounding effect.”
With traditional team sports in decline — the number of kids playing touch football is down more than 7 percent, slow-pitch softball down 5 percent, and baseball, basketball and soccer all down nearly 2 percent — niche sports might be benefiting from some of the quitters. Lacrosse is up nearly 12 percent. Field hockey is up nearly 8 percent.
Meanwhile, the race is on to put solutions in place. The Aspen Institute has made eight recommendations, including revitalizing in-town leagues, reintroducing free play, encouraging sports sampling, training coaches and, perhaps most important, asking kids what they want.
The largest organizations in sports are making moves. Major League Baseball is partnering with the Positive Coaching Alliance to train youth coaches. The U.S. Tennis Association is encouraging sports sampling and hosting roundtables on the topic. U.S. Youth Soccer is moving next year from 11-on-11 games to 9-on-9 and 7-on-7, which youth sports advocates believe will be more fun and increase skills development.
“Hopefully, these ideas can help change things,” Farrey said. “You’re not going to change the culture by telling parents to stop acting like fools.”
I'll tell you what is ruining sports. It is that Socialism has taken over sports and the Wah, wah, wah of the liberal agenda. It USED to be that you had to earn your position on the team. There were OMG * gasp*, actual TRYOUTS! Oh noooooo!!!!! And, so you would go and practice and work hard. Now , all you have to do is breathe and they put you in a uniform. Then you get your whiny arse parent to go complain to the coach about your playing time, wah, wah. Then, the coaches cave and play those kids who Don't CARE about the sport they are playing. So, you know who drops out of sports? It is the kids who LOVE to play. The ones who have worked hard. The ones who care about the game. And, they get sick to death of playing their hearts out so you can throw lazy arse JR on the court to lose the game for you. No thanks.
The best thing we did was get DD into a travel basketball team. It is soooo refreshing for her to play on a team where girls want to get better, care about the game and the coaches are interested in playing high quality basketball instead of running the social agenda.
My niece is on a travel volley ball team & they definitely have tryouts. She went to volley ball camp over the summer to improve her game. She was worried she wouldn't make tryouts because her serve was weak. It vastly improved after camp & much practice. She seems to love the game. The travel portion does seem to cost a small fortune.
I have no illusions about my kids going pro and they probably won't even play in college. But, there is no JOY of the sport in playing it badly, being lousy, not improving. The joy of basketball is playing good basketball. When did we decide that FUN was synonymous with mediocrity and lack of effort?
Why don't we apply the same things to plays? EVERY kid should be the lead in the play and have equal parts. We don't do that for plays. But, now for sports that is a thing.
The high school, a travel team and a college exposure team.
She is either practicing or playing every second she isn't at school or sleeping.
And she plays year round.
She loves it. Can't get through a day without it. Seriously, it like a drug.
She is trying to decide between two colleges currently. Both offering full ride scholarships.
Her older sister on the other hand HATED softball.
Yes parents do ruin sports, any activity they get over zealous about.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
And then there's the flip side. My son LOVES football, but was smaller than a lot of the other guys. He played his heart out though and was actually not bad...not great but not bad...
He didn't miss ONE SINGLE practice. He was at every single game. But the bigger boys, the ones that came to practice literally 3 times the whole season...missed 3 games...THEY got to play offence and defense. It was heartbreaking to watch my son sit on the sidelines while the kids that showed when they wanted to go playing time.
There were about 5 kids just like my son that didn't get to play. It came to a head when the director of the league was watching one of our games and we were up 37-0 in the 4th quarter. Coach still didn't put the scrubs in. Director was not happy. That coach never coached again.
Yes, it's a life lesson that you don't always get your way. But that's not what this league was trying to teach the kids. There has to be a balance...
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America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
And then there's the flip side. My son LOVES football, but was smaller than a lot of the other guys. He played his heart out though and was actually not bad...not great but not bad...
He didn't miss ONE SINGLE practice. He was at every single game. But the bigger boys, the ones that came to practice literally 3 times the whole season...missed 3 games...THEY got to play offence and defense. It was heartbreaking to watch my son sit on the sidelines while the kids that showed when they wanted to go playing time.
There were about 5 kids just like my son that didn't get to play. It came to a head when the director of the league was watching one of our games and we were up 37-0 in the 4th quarter. Coach still didn't put the scrubs in. Director was not happy. That coach never coached again.
Yes, it's a life lesson that you don't always get your way. But that's not what this league was trying to teach the kids. There has to be a balance...
What needs to happen is that each team or league needs to be defined. Is this a competitive team? Play to win? Or, is this an Everyone plays League. You really can't have both. Sorry. Make up your mind. Do you want to play competitive games or do you want everyone to play regardless of the outcome?
We joined a travel team because it is a competitive play to win league. That is the point. To field the best team. So, if sometimes DD isn't having a good game and sits on the bench, so be it. But she far, far more enjoys playing high quality basketball with girls who LOVE to play basketball and who care enough about their skills to work to get better, than she does playing in school and rec leagues that are watered down versions of good basketball.
I coach youth basketball. There are some kids who simply are never going to turn into basketball players. Yes, they can work hard and get better. And, I will play kids who work hard. A girl came back this year and she is working very hard at practice. She is going to get playing time because she is putting in the effort. I have another girl who is skilled but did not improve over the summer and isn't really taking the corrections in practice. She was probably my #2 player last year. She isn't going to start the first game this year. Even though she is technically more skilled, she isn't working. She will either step it up or ride the bench for a bit. I have one or two every year that don't seem to want to be there. The parents drop them off and they don't really try at practice. You can only pull them along for so long. I cannot hold up the development of the players who DO want to be there. I will remediate them to a point, but we have to move on. I am not going to hold back girls who are ready to explode with new talents for those who aren't going to exert themselves.
As a youth coach, I will play all the players. But, not in equal amounts. And, I also am not that concerned with winning and scores. What I AM concerned about is that my girls get BETTER. That they improve both individually and as a team. If there is not significant improvement by the end of the year, then I failed as a coach. However, you can only coach those willing to be coached as well. All the great coaching in the world will not change those who won't go home and put in the sweat equity.
And then there's the flip side. My son LOVES football, but was smaller than a lot of the other guys. He played his heart out though and was actually not bad...not great but not bad...
He didn't miss ONE SINGLE practice. He was at every single game. But the bigger boys, the ones that came to practice literally 3 times the whole season...missed 3 games...THEY got to play offence and defense. It was heartbreaking to watch my son sit on the sidelines while the kids that showed when they wanted to go playing time.
There were about 5 kids just like my son that didn't get to play. It came to a head when the director of the league was watching one of our games and we were up 37-0 in the 4th quarter. Coach still didn't put the scrubs in. Director was not happy. That coach never coached again.
Yes, it's a life lesson that you don't always get your way. But that's not what this league was trying to teach the kids. There has to be a balance...
What needs to happen is that each team or league needs to be defined. Is this a competitive team? Play to win? Or, is this an Everyone plays League. You really can't have both. Sorry. Make up your mind. Do you want to play competitive games or do you want everyone to play regardless of the outcome?
This was rec league. No tryouts. I'm not AT ALL talking about participating for the heck of it. They league had a rule that is you missed more than 1 practice a week, you were not allowed to play in that week's game. This coach didn't follow that...
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America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
I coach youth basketball. There are some kids who simply are never going to turn into basketball players. Yes, they can work hard and get better. And, I will play kids who work hard. A girl came back this year and she is working very hard at practice. She is going to get playing time because she is putting in the effort. I have another girl who is skilled but did not improve over the summer and isn't really taking the corrections in practice. She was probably my #2 player last year. She isn't going to start the first game this year. Even though she is technically more skilled, she isn't working. She will either step it up or ride the bench for a bit. I have one or two every year that don't seem to want to be there. The parents drop them off and they don't really try at practice. You can only pull them along for so long. I cannot hold up the development of the players who DO want to be there. I will remediate them to a point, but we have to move on. I am not going to hold back girls who are ready to explode with new talents for those who aren't going to exert themselves.
As a youth coach, I will play all the players. But, not in equal amounts. And, I also am not that concerned with winning and scores. What I AM concerned about is that my girls get BETTER. That they improve both individually and as a team. If there is not significant improvement by the end of the year, then I failed as a coach. However, you can only coach those willing to be coached as well. All the great coaching in the world will not change those who won't go home and put in the sweat equity.
THIS!!!!!! My son just wanted to play. He (and others on the team) played about 3 downs the entire year.
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America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
Lady Gaga, is there anything wrong with the world that you DON'T blame on liberals? This is about sports and helicopter parents and you still spun it to be the fault of liberals.
Lady Gaga, is there anything wrong with the world that you DON'T blame on liberals? This is about sports and helicopter parents and you still spun it to be the fault of liberals.
Lady Gaga, is there anything wrong with the world that you DON'T blame on liberals? This is about sports and helicopter parents and you still spun it to be the fault of liberals.
Well, the liberals are the ones that have insisted on participation trophies and BS like that.
I don't know one conservative that agrees with the whole "don't keep score because it hurts feelings" mantra. They are also responsible for trying to ban at recess so someone's wittle feelings don't get hurt. Boo Hoo...
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America guarantees equal opportunity, not equal outcome...
Lady Gaga, is there anything wrong with the world that you DON'T blame on liberals? This is about sports and helicopter parents and you still spun it to be the fault of liberals.
Well, the liberals are the ones that have insisted on participation trophies and BS like that.
I don't know one conservative that agrees with the whole "don't keep score because it hurts feelings" mantra. They are also responsible for trying to ban at recess so someone's wittle feelings don't get hurt. Boo Hoo...
I'm a liberal who doesn't agree with that either.
They had the same rule when my boys played soccer. You better believe the KIDS kept score!
