What’s Happening on YOUR Fields?

John Engh

Chief Operating

Officer, NAYS

in partnership with:

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presented by:

Today’s Session

• NAYS – Who we are…

• Youth Sports Then vs. Now

• Current Challenges

• Self-Assessment

• Recommendations for

Communities

• Youth Sports Tools

• Wrap-up

Educational Programs:

•Coaches

•Volunteer administrators

•Professional administrators

•Officials

•Parents

Youth Development Programs:

•Start Smart Sports Development Programs

•Hook a Kid on Golf

•Ready, Set, RUN!

Over the past 30 years, NAYS has expanded…

Nays overview

A Brief History of

Youth Sports in

America…

• Sandlot/Pickup Games

• Local “organizations”

• National Organizations

• All Stars

• Travel Teams

• Youth Sports Associations

• Where are we headed?

Sports Then & Now

WHEN KIDS PLAY

Sports 30 Years Ago: Played every day with the neighborhood kids for hours on end, whatever sport was in season.

Now: Kids only play and practice real sports when adults formally organize them. The rest of the time they are playing video versions of sport on Wii, Playstation, and X-Box. Rarely do you see kids organize informal, real games of their own.

Sports Then & Now

WHERE KIDS PLAY 30 Years Ago: Kids of all ages went into a backyard or nearby vacant lot to play.

Now: Kids play on perfectly manicured and lined fields.

TRAINING (Getting Better)30 Years Ago: Kids played against other neighborhood kids of all ages and had to get better in order to compete with the older ones. They often played on their own to get better.

Now: Kids attend dedicated sports facilities where a paid instructor provides expert tutelage on a regular basis. They attend multiple summer camps and many play on travel teams that formally train throughout the year. They also may receive speed and agility training.

Sports Then & Now

EQUIPMENT30 Years Ago: Kids were lucky to have a glove in the family and you shared bats with the neighbor kids. The bases were a cracked Frisbee, a piece of cardboard or a worn out dirt spot.

Now: T-ballers have their own expensive bats, batting helmets, batting gloves, and bat bags to carry all their gear.

REWARDS FOR PLAYING30 Years Ago: Kids enjoyed the intrinsic rewards of competing and playing with friends. You had bragging rights over your friends or the next neighborhood.

Now: Every kid now is given a trophy just for showing up. They seek and have come to expect the extrinsic rewards more so than the intrinsic.

Sports Then & Now

CHOOSING TEAMS30 Years Ago: Kids picked their own teams by choosing up sides. The person who got the first pick, usually determined by who had the last hand on the bat handle, got the first pick and the other person got the next two picks.

Now: Roster is made up by coach or community league using complicated drafts and evaluations.

RULES OF THE GAME30 Years Ago: Kids made up their own rules to fit the situation. If the ball goes over the house in left field it is an automatic home run. But if it goes over the fence in right field, where the vicious dog lives, it's an automatic out. And YOU have to climb the fence.

Now: All rules are listed in the official Little League Rule Book.

Sports Then & Now

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP30 Years Ago: You had to develop leadership skills to influence who was on your team, getting the close calls, and keeping your friends focused and on track so you could win the game.

Now: Adults make 90% of the decisions in youth sports: choosing teams, making out lineups, deciding close plays, handling disagreements, etc.

REFRESHMENTS30 Years Ago: Drinking out of a garden hose with hot, rubber-tasting water when the game was done.

Now: Moms and dads are assigned "Snack" where they bring Gatorade bottles and chips or Oreos for each player. Many times the highlight of the game in the kids' minds is the snack they receive, not any good plays that might have been made.

The Changing Culture of

Youth Sports

Age of Participants

For the Parents or the Children?

Travel/Select/Elite

Specialization

Volunteer Sport Organizations (VSA’s)

• FUN!!!

• self-confidence

• self-esteem

• skill building

• social skills

• sportsmanship

• fitness

• respect

• discipline

• role model

• follow through

• responsibility

• play by the rules

• communication

• teamwork

• winning/losing

• motivation

• commitment

• leadership

• positive outlook

What positive aspects would you

want children to gain from youth

sports participation?

The Sport Parent Paradox

• Parents enroll their children in sport because they believe that sport participation has tangible benefits – and they are right!

• Shift Happens - Parents voluntarily sign their children up for a fun activity and then do all they can to eliminate the fun their children are having.

• #1 Issue - Identification

Identification in Today’s Youth

Sport Culture is the #1 Issue

• Identification - living through your child’s experience

but applying your own set of values

• Identification is based on outcomes

– winning

– all-star teams

– playing time

– fitting into society

Adults are Product Oriented

Who won?

Did my child play?

How many hits/tackles/points did they get?

Children are Process Oriented

Was it fun?

We are asking for conflict!!!

We must be

Proactive

NOT

Reactive

The GOLDEN rule:“He who has the gold makes

the rules!”

The role of municipal parks & recreation in enacting

coach & parent training in youth sports

Managing Leisure Journal, July 2010Robert Barcelona, Indiana University & Sarah Young, Clemson University

327 parks & recreation professionals responded

Facility Usage Survey

National Alliance for Youth Sports, August 2012

157 certified youth sports administrators (CYSA’s) responded

• 70% have Voluntary Sports Organizations (VSO’s) using their

facilities (70% run their own programs).

• Scheduling and maintenance (the fields) is where recreation

professionals feel they have the most control.

• Requirements are vastly different (when it comes to coach &

administrator training, background checks and parent

orientation) from the programs they directly run versus VSO’s

• up to 90% of youth sport coaches have not gone through a

formalized training program

• overwhelmingly, coaches felt a training or certification program

should be available for coaches in their league

• 93% agree professional youth sports administrators would

benefit from a related training.

• 92% agree volunteer league administrators and board members

would benefit from a related training. 51% STRONGLY agree.

• Only 19% require board members of leagues on their fields to

participate in an education program.

Summary of Findings…

Conclusions…

• No two communities are the same when it comes to the nature

of youth sport delivery

• Municipal recreation departments are in a unique position to

lead due to the fact that the majority of youth sports programs

are directly under their control or play in programs that use

public recreation facilities and resources

• Parks and rec department may not manage the day-to-day

operations of all youth sports programs in their community, but

they control access to increasingly scarce public sports

facilities

• Without a strong, coherent, and unified youth sport philosophy

focusing on sport as a positive developmental leagues are left

on their own to develop their own philosophy of what youth

sports should be about

PART 1

Adopt a community philosophy that makes youth sports safe and positive for children

PART 2

Appoint a professional youth sports administrator to ensure adherence to the philosophy

PART 3

Holding programs accountable

Recommendations

for Communities

Part 1:

Adopt a Community Youth

Sports Philosophy

• What’s a community philosophy?

– Should complement your existing departmental

mission statement and general philosophies

– Hold EVERY program accountable to the those

standards

• How?

– Hold a working meeting with local leaders to

develop the philosophy

– Have leaders sign acknowledgement

{Community} Youth Sports Philosophy

We are committed to providing and supporting recreational

youth sports opportunities with emphasis on sportsmanship,

learning skills, positive attitude, confidence, high moral standards

and a love of the game.

We believe in the benefits and attraction of youth sports as

a means to teach the children of this community values and skills

that benefit them throughout life -physically, socially and

emotionally.

In order to realize the true value of youth sports

participation and to provide a safe, positive and fun environment

for children and their families, we must hold high standards among

our programs as well as all users of our community’s youth sports

facilities.

All participants, parents, coaches, and youth sports

administrators are expected to support this philosophy.

SAMPLE:

• First introduced in

1987, revised in

2008

• Nine standards

provide national

policy guidance

• Offers specific

policies and

procedures

• Assists decision

making process

Need Guidance?

Qualifications: college degree, specific training in youth sports

administration, commitment to positive and safe sports for children,

leadership skills, excellent communication skills, highly organized

Oversees the entire youth sports operation:

– Acts as a liaison between the recreation department and community

leaders and elected officials

– Responsible for working with outside sports programs

– Ensures youth sports philosophy, policies and procedures are clearly

understood and followed by all sports program partners

– Responsible for providing or overseeing requirements for all volunteers,

including volunteer administrators and coaches

– Respond accordingly to all complaints and conflicts

– Commitment to quality – set example for community with own programs

– Stay up to date on national youth sports topics, news and trends

Part 2:

Professional Youth Sports

Administrator

Part 2:

Professional Youth Sports

Administrator

• Establishing Requirements

– Insurance

– Residency

– Purpose Statement

– Established Non-Profit

– Volunteer Training (Administrators, Coaches,

Officials)

– Volunteer Screening

– Defined Parent Orientation

– Signed Acknowledgement of policies & philosophies

Part 3:

Hold Programs Accountable

- Requirements

– Sanctioning/Eligibility Process

• Qualifying for field use

– Prioritizing/Approval of Field Use

• Prioritizing Use

• Oversight of the process

• Permitting procedures

– Annual Meeting for VSOs

• Scheduled Annual (minimal) Meeting

• Attendance Requirements

• Review Procedures/Philosophy

• Updating Documents

• Verification of Requirements

– Site Visits – Spot Checks

• Philosophy being upheld????

Part 3:

Hold Programs Accountable

- Oversight

Tools to Utilize

• Recommendations for Communities

• National Standards For Youth Sports

• Professional Development for Youth

Sports Administrators

• Training for Volunteer League Leaders

• Training for Volunteer Coaches

• Orientation for Parents

• Effective Screening Program

• Evaluation Systems (Coach & League)

• League Management/Oversight systems

NYSAA Overview

• Volunteer Coach Management

• Participants/Kids

• Officials

• Dealing with Parents

• Volunteer Boards

• Protecting Yourself from Embezzlement

• Youth Sports & the Law

• Other Topics:

– Insurance

– Child Abuse Prevention

– Fundraising

– Marketing/Social Networking

Every NYSAA member gets a personalized

website with tons of tools and resources…

Four components of providing quality youth

sports programs:

1. Screening – Guidelines & Management

2. Training – Live and Online Clinics – continuing

education – membership benefits - value

3. Evaluation – Coach Rating System

4. Accountability – Code of Conduct/

Reporting & Revocation Procedures

It’s not just about

coach training…

Now at NAYS.org, every NYSCA member

gets a personalized website with

tons of tools and resources…

Coaching Forum:

Ask questions & share

knowledge with over 150,000

NYSCA members

Coach Ratings:

Provides feedback from parent

evaluations all season long

SportingKid Magazine:

Youth sport magazine packed

with news, tips & expert info

Skills & Drills:

Video and printable exercises

for practice preparation

Educational Resources:

Additional content relevant to

coaching youth sports

Member area

highlights…

Chapter Management

Establishing a chapter gives you access to a

number of tools to ensures your youth sports

volunteer workforce is made up of quality,

reliable individuals. In addition to the NYSCA

coach training program you have access to:

• Background Screening & Management

• Online Evaluation Tool

• Accountability Policies and Procedures

Plus many other youth sports resources

View members :

All relevant

information is

available in one

database

Manage your Coaches

Select a member

for more detailed

information:

Edit information,

check background

information or

initiate an online

evaluation for a

coach.

Manage your Coaches

Background Screening

Using your own

screening

system:

Chapters can enter

their own screening

results so that they

can be viewed in

the system as well

Use NAYS

program:

If you register for

the NAYS system

you can view

results in the

Chapter

Management

system*

*stored securely by

screening company

View All Results:

Historical results

can be exported to

a spreadsheet for

management.

View Individual

Results:

Results can be used

to follow-up with

coach complaints

or to reward

coaches for great

service.

“Rate Your Coach” Evaluations

View Categories:

You and coaches

will be able to see

the areas where

they need to

improve their

coaching.

Our Vision for Every

Community

Certified Youth Sports Administrator

Trained League Administrators

and/or Professional Staff

Screened, Trained, Evaluated Coaches/Volunteers held

Accountable for their actions

Knowledgeable Parents

Working Together for the KIDS

www.nays.org

John Engh

jengh@nays.org

Kate Dilworth

kdilworth@nays.org

See you in Anaheim????