Jim Taylor, Ph.D., shared on Psychology Today, some of the great things happening in youth sports in America. Dr. Taylor has 50 years of experience in youth sports which includes his participation in Little League baseball, soccer and his main sport which was alpine ski racing. Currently, he is a mental coach in youth sports.
There is a huge concern that youth sports has metamorphosed from a fun team activity with health benefits and life-long skill acquisition to being just about winning at all cost. Sadly, there is some truth to the down-side of what he calls the “professionalization of youth sports”. But in this article at the dawn of 2019, Dr. Taylor highlights the positives, so as unite all those involved in youth sports, to continue to hold onto all the good stuff. Here are some notable positive mentions:
- tremendous passion surrounding youth and sports
- investment in practicing, whether it is for the joy of loving the sport, fine-tuning skills, or part of a regimen to attain a sports dream
- young athletes dedicated to their chosen sport/s
- parents who make financial and personal sacrifices to provide their children with opportunities to participate in sports, so that their child will learn valuable life lessons and/or pursue an athletic goal
- coaches and others who dedicate their energy to sports and ingraining the same passion for sports in the next generation
Dr. Taylor ends with, "What I know for sure is that when you combine smart and passionate people with a shared vision, an openness to change, a culture of innovation, and a spirit of collaboration, good things will happen. And the real winners are our children."
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For more information: What’s Right about Youth Sports in America
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