Notebook: Kids And Sports (CBS News) - YouTube

 People began to realize that the social environment influences the character and behavior of children  Sports were supposed to teach boys how to cooperate and work together, and turn them into strong, assertive, competitive men  Most programs were for boys age 8-14 in the U.S. and girls were given the hope of becoming HS cheerleaders

 1- # of families with both parents working has increased (ASP)  2- Significant changes in what it means to be a good parent  3- Informal child controlled activities often provide occasions for children to cause trouble  4- Outside the home has become dangerous  5- The visibility of high-performance and professional sports has increased people’s awareness of organized sports as part of a culture

 Organized programs are becoming privatized  Sponsored by private and commercial organizations  Programs are emphasizing the performance ethic  Increase in the # of elite sport training facilities  Many programs encourage exclusive attention to a single sport  Participation in alternative sports has increased  Popularity is based on children’s reactions against the highly structured character of adult-controlled organized sports

 1- Emphasize action which will lead to scoring  No strikes or balls  2- Challenging or exciting experience  3- Opportunities to reaffirm friendships during games  Problems  Bigger and older kids exploited smaller and weaker  Girls and others were excluded from games  When space is a problem many don’t get the opportunity to play

 1- Adults determine and enforce the rules  2- Plan strategies and call plays  3- Solve problems  4- Controlled schedules and playing times  Less skilled sat on sidelines  5-Deviance occurred more often  6- Status on teams depends on the coaches’ assessment of physical skills

 8 years old-children begin to develop the cognitive and social abilities they need to fully understand the complex social relationships involved in most competitive sports  Beehive soccer  Parents may accuse kids of not trying or having a bad attitude  12- abilities are fully developed for most children

 Pressure on children  If they quit, they feel their parents may withdraw support and attention  If they play sports but don’t perform well, they fear their parents will criticize them  If they perform well, they fear they will be treated like “little pros” instead of children  70% of children drop out by age 13

 Mothers- drive children to practices and games, fix meals at convenient times, wash dirty uniforms, make sure equipment is safe, raise funds for teams/leagues, prepare food for pre-post games, make phone calls about schedule changes, provide emotional support when athletes play bad  Fathers- handle on the field administrative matters (coaching, field maintenance, league admin)

 Boys popularity depends on…  Athletic ability  Toughness  coolness  Girls popularity depends on…  Families social status  Physical appearance  Grooming behavior  Relationships with boys  Grades in school

 Fathers play with their sons more often in more physically active ways  Boys are more likely than girls to think they are better than they actually are when it comes to sports skills  Changing Children’s Sports  How can we make a better sporting environment for our children