Full Description
This provocative critique of the youth sports movement examines the various issues surrounding children in sports and provides a plan for reform based on a change in philosophy and practice.
Many American children spend more than 20 hours a week in organized sports, forgoing free time and unstructured recreational activities for the rigors of training and competition. This book offers a comprehensive critique of the youth sports movement, pitting the reality of adult-run sports programs against the needs and interests of children. It examines whether the tradeoff of "normal play time" for structured sports activities teaches discipline and leads to stronger character development, or if the pressures of the game, the physical strain of practicing, and the general overscheduling of children's lives have eroded the benefits associated with playing sports.
Educator and former coach Steven J. Overman contends that youth-based sports programs require a radical change for the well-being of the young participants. The book explores the various problems in organized sports, including stress on the family, physical health hazards, violence, emotional duress, elitism, and hyper-competitiveness. Incorporating the perspectives of coaches, athletes, parents, physicians, and social scientists, the narrative scrutinizes the role of adults as promoters and coaches and concludes with a discussion of current and needed reforms.
Contents
1 Introduction to Youth Sports
What Motivates Youth Sports Participation?
Do Youth Sports Develop Character?
2 Youth Sports for Adults
The Adult Takeover of Children's Sports
The Youth Sports Coach, for Better or Worse
The Commercialization of Youth Sports
3 The Child Athlete's Family
The Youth Sports Family
The Sports Parent: Soccer Moms and Dugout Dads
Are Youth Sports Overpriced?
Youth Sports as College Prep
4 The Child Athlete as Miniature Adult
The Hurried Child Athlete
Toddler Sports
The Child Athlete as Specialist
The Overscheduled Child Athlete
Sports Camps and Academies
5 Youth Sports May Be Hazardous to Your Child's Physical Health
Unnecessary Roughness: Youth Sports Injuries
Violence in Youth Sports
Do Youth Sports Promote Unhealthy Eating?
Do Youth Sports Promote Fitness?
6 Youth Sports May Be Hazardous to Your Child's Emotional Health
The Youth Sports Athlete under Stress
Youth Sports and the Shaping of Masculinity
Youth Sports as Child Abuse
Quitters Never Win: Burnouts and Dropouts
7 The Toxic Elements in Youth Sports
Youth Sports as Drudgery
Youth Sports as Child Labor
Winning Is Everything: Competition Out of Control
Youth Sports as Elitism
8 So You Want Your Son to Play Football
A Portrait of Youth Football and Its Downside
Youth Football Coaches: Amateurs and Abusers
Bigger Is Better: Overweight Players
No Pain, No Gain: A Plague of Injuries
Does Playing Football Promote Bad Behavior?
Do You Want Your Son to Play Football?
9 Concluding Thoughts: Reform or Re-Form
Notes
Index
