This is a great article that illustrates the problems I highlighted months ago about youth sports.
http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/...ll-teams-make-youth-sports-industrial-complex
I recently became in charge of the "travel" program for the U8 hockey kids. The reason they asked that they won't mention is that my son is now the top scorer in the league and when he plays goal has the lowest goals against average. He has reached that position primarily because the kids that were better than him all aged up to the next division. The other reason they asked me is because of my philosophy on travel sports at this age.
I preach Fun First. Sure we travel and sure we have an advanced team. The Advanced Team consist of players with a minimum of 3 seasons under their belt and age 7 or 8. Those are the requirements. You have to have played enough that your skating isn't terrible and you have to be 7 or 8. The rules are straight forward.
We also have a Jamboree program which in hockey is kind of like friendly games in soccer. Those are open to the first 10 kids who sign up. Why? Because it is just about playing hockey in a different arena and not about winning. We happen to win ever one we go to, but that is more attributed to the overall coaching program at the rink and not about us assembling an elite team.
Next year, the travel team will do one tournament up north during the winter. It is less about the game play and more about putting the kids in a place where it might be snowing out side, playing against kids who play northern hockey so they can see the difference and playing in a tournament with 20-30 teams so they can experience something different. We will likely lose every game we play but that isn't the point of the trip.
At these tournaments, I have seen everything. Kids, parents and coaches in full uniform on and off of the ice. Warmups that cost $150 each kid and home and away jersey and gear kits that run $500 each color. I have seen teams of U8 teams with 3 kids that are just shy of 6 foot tall. I have seen coaches scream at a kid (remember U8) for missing a shot. He ran the play right, he just missed the shot. I have seen teams with professional coaches (i.e. not parent volunteers) and those same coaches calling out plays from a list of about 20 all of which are learned through excessive repetition. What I don't see, except for on our kids, are smiles and the goofiness that comes with being 6-8 years old.
http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/...ll-teams-make-youth-sports-industrial-complex
I recently became in charge of the "travel" program for the U8 hockey kids. The reason they asked that they won't mention is that my son is now the top scorer in the league and when he plays goal has the lowest goals against average. He has reached that position primarily because the kids that were better than him all aged up to the next division. The other reason they asked me is because of my philosophy on travel sports at this age.
I preach Fun First. Sure we travel and sure we have an advanced team. The Advanced Team consist of players with a minimum of 3 seasons under their belt and age 7 or 8. Those are the requirements. You have to have played enough that your skating isn't terrible and you have to be 7 or 8. The rules are straight forward.
We also have a Jamboree program which in hockey is kind of like friendly games in soccer. Those are open to the first 10 kids who sign up. Why? Because it is just about playing hockey in a different arena and not about winning. We happen to win ever one we go to, but that is more attributed to the overall coaching program at the rink and not about us assembling an elite team.
Next year, the travel team will do one tournament up north during the winter. It is less about the game play and more about putting the kids in a place where it might be snowing out side, playing against kids who play northern hockey so they can see the difference and playing in a tournament with 20-30 teams so they can experience something different. We will likely lose every game we play but that isn't the point of the trip.
At these tournaments, I have seen everything. Kids, parents and coaches in full uniform on and off of the ice. Warmups that cost $150 each kid and home and away jersey and gear kits that run $500 each color. I have seen teams of U8 teams with 3 kids that are just shy of 6 foot tall. I have seen coaches scream at a kid (remember U8) for missing a shot. He ran the play right, he just missed the shot. I have seen teams with professional coaches (i.e. not parent volunteers) and those same coaches calling out plays from a list of about 20 all of which are learned through excessive repetition. What I don't see, except for on our kids, are smiles and the goofiness that comes with being 6-8 years old.
