Competition Vs. Play in Youth Sports

‘Maybe my kid will be the best… maybe he/she could get a college scholarship or maybe even go pro.’ This thought lingers in the back of many parents and coaches. It is this kind of thinking that leads to the extreme competition in youth sports that we see happening today. If it were up to children they would be playing sports to have fun, but it is this idea of ‘fun’ that gets lost in over-emphasizing winning and competition.

Sports should be a fun and exciting experience for children, one that teaches them about problem solving and communication skills as well as sharing emotions and working together to achieve a common goal. In competitive environments children feel the pressure to win, which has a tendency to lead to poor sportsmanship and some of the most important learning experiences get pushed to the side. In comparison playful environments teach children to promote each others success and to encourage one another.

Children try so hard to be the best to make their parents and coaches happy that they sometimes forget why they started playing in the first place. Dropouts start happening when children can’t remember the joy that they once felt from playing. In a study done by the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration they found that ‘Unpleasant experiences in sports can lead to children dropping out and limiting their physical activity, there by increasing their chances of obesity. In contrast sport experiences that promote sportsmanship and fun help encourage children to adopt physical activity as part of their lifestyle.’ 

The authors of the book Putting Youth Back into Sports gives these helpful tips on ways to promote sportsmanship and fun in youth sports.

·        Place less emphasis on the score. Focus on the mastery of skills instead of the outcome of the game. Youth will feel more successful whether or not they are "officially" the winner of the game.

·        Be sensitive to each member's skills, personalities, and temperaments. Offer activities that promote team efforts and encourage everyone to play a role in helping the team as a whole.

·        Rotate partners in skill building exercises.

·        Change games to be developmentally appropriate for the age group of the team.

·        Give encouragement and positive feedback to every member of the team.

·        Emphasize exploration and experimentation with each of the skills needed for that sport.

·        Help youth to see mistakes as learning tools.

·        Sometimes just "play" for the fun of it, especially at younger ages.

·        Encourage youth to set personal goals to challenge themselves and master skills.

These tips help bring a balance to competition and cooperation. Do you have more ideas on how to bring a balance between the two? Let us know!

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