Bringing Community Back into Sport at Junior Level
Youth sport at its best is built upon social connection and support of the local community
The communal aspects of being part of a local sports club are at risk of being lost with the growing commercialisation of youth sports, notably in North America. Children and teens greatly prize the feeling of belonging and the sense of social connection to the local community they experience from participating in organised youth sports. For good reason families moving to a new area encourage their kids to join a local sports club to help them settle in. In turn, the success and sustainability of a youth sports programme relies heavily on the support and goodwill of the local community. Recognising this symbiotic relationship, we need to bring the community back into the youth sports experience.
Sports clubs are generally considered to be a social good that benefits the community in which they are located. Not only can it be a source of civic pride, organised youth sports help support social cohesion, serving as a forum that brings kids and families from different parts of the community together who might not otherwise come into contact and creates social bonds. Junior programmes in particular are recognised as playing a central role, not only in providing kids with healthy and productive ways to channel their energy but also in helping to foster qualities and behaviours that make them valued members of society. For these reasons, parents and family members not only encourage kids to participate but are also motivated to volunteer their own time to serve as coaches and administrators.
Youth sports organisations have the potential to serve as an important social hub, to the benefit of participating families and the wider community. The social element of participating in organised youth sports is something that kids greatly value and is an important part of what motivates them to participate. Parents similarly value having opportunities to socialise with each other and create friendships in the course of their sport parenting duties. Beyond socialising during practices and when competing, volunteer efforts to organise social activities to bring kids and their families together outside of those times are a good indicator of the health of a youth sports club. These opportunities to interact and socialise encourage kids and parents alike to get involved and creates a sense of attachment to the club and local community.
Local sports clubs have traditionally relied on an extended support network. Behind the scenes of most well-functioning youth sports organisations is a legion of volunteers that not only includes parents, siblings and other relatives of the kids participating but also members of the local community who have no direct family ties but are nonetheless connected to the club. The commercialisation of youth sports makes the relationship more transactional, as those involved with running these organisations may become more concerned with financial interests than the best interests of the kids participating and community considerations. This is very much at odds with the spirit of volunteerism and community ethos that has traditionally been integral to the youth sports experience for kids and families.
Part of the allure of commercial youth sports academies and the like is the access to professional coaching that they offer. Sadly, in too many cases these coaches are āprofessionalā only in the sense that they are getting paid. Equally, what this points to is a genuine desire among parents and kids alike for qualified coaches. It should be possible to provide this, without losing all the good parts of what community sports clubs can offer.
A valid criticism of community sports clubs is that the coaches and selectors may lack technical expertise or are otherwise not adequately equipped to fulfil the duties required of them. The volunteer coach is often a parent and it is common that their own kids are part of the squad, which in many cases is what motivates them to get involved in the first place. The lack of neutrality can be a source of friction due to suspicions of preferential treatment, posing challenges for all parties, not least the child of the coach. But arguably the bigger logistical challenge for youth sports organisations is that the tenure of a volunteer parent-coach tends to be short, as they typically walk away once their own kids are no longer participating. Clearly this is not conducive to continuity but it also creates an ongoing need to recruit new volunteer coaches, such that experience and practical knowledge is periodically lost with each outgoing coach.
All of this can be solved by youth sports organisations investing in a coaching director or technical lead position who is responsible for delivering coach education to the volunteer coaches involved (including training up new coaches). The availability of such an individual to provide guidance and technical support, through coaching clinics, mentoring and offering technical input to individual athletes is invaluable. In this way, a single professional can make sure that coaching standards are maintained and effectively ensure the sustainability of the enterprise without sacrificing the family and community ethos of the club.
Finally, the volunteering element of youth sports organisations should not be restricted to the grown-ups. Taking part in organised youth sport offers ample opportunity for kids to give something back to the club and the local community that supports them. The more that club duties or community service is part of kidsā youth sports participation, the greater the prosocial effects and positive influence on how they develop as individuals. In return for giving their time and efforts, kids can receive considerable benefits, not least in terms of their future education and employment opportunities. Contributing in this way also fosters a sense of pride and belonging. In serving their club and community kids derive enormous value and these can be formative experiences with a lasting legacy.