Discussing Youth Sports Models

Over the past few weeks, I’ve written about the fact that there are different youth sports models around the world, but what does this mean? What is a “youth sports” model and how does it affect our children? What I found is very interesting as it relates to what is being done in Europe versus the United States. Now, please note that I am not saying that what we do in the United States is wrong; however, youth sports participation around the world is increasing while in the United States it is decreasing, and children around the world seem to be healthier so this makes me think that we can do better for our children.

First, we have to look at the different ways that youth sports are administered in the United States versus Europe. In the United States, a child usually gets signed up for a youth sport as young as four years old and if they play that sport (or multiple sports) throughout their childhood, their last year of playing at the youth level will be either 13 or 14 years old. Then, they go on high school, where if they are still interested in playing a sport, they will try out for their high school team. If they are good enough to continue on they will either get a college scholarship or try out as a “walk on” at whatever college they attend. In Europe, there are no high school sports and everything is based on the “club” system. Tom Viemont wrote in a December 2020 article that the European “club” system is a network of sporting organizations ranging from small local recreational clubs to multibillion dollar franchises. He goes on further to state that if a child wants to continue with a sporting activity, but does not have “club” talent, schools offer intermurals. For example, Mr. Viemont states that in Groningen, in the Netherlands, schools offer at least 50 different sporting activities for students to choose from. Additionally, the ACLO Studentensport Center in Groningen offers just about every sport and fitness activity you can think of as well as a wide variety of sports clubs.

Further, Mr. Viemont states that in Portugal, the Sporting Club of Portugal offers club soccer in addition to volleyball, handball, indoor soccer and rink hockey while FC Porto offers those sports along with cycling, billiards, swimming and much more. One major difference between the United States and Europe is, in Europe, when a child is picked for a “club” team program they are usually being groomed to play professionally for the team in whatever sport they are participating in. In addition, the child will receive training from licensed coaches and this training will last throughout their formative years, while the child is developing both physically and mentally, before they start playing competitively.

So, what is the real difference between the United States and European youth sports models? My research shows that in Europe “competition”, does not start until a child’s early teen years, after years of training and learning the fundamentals of the sport they are playing. In a New York Times article written by Tom Farrey in April 2019 called “Does Norway Have the Answer to Excess in Youth Sports?” Mr. Farry discusses Norway’s youth sports model which is based on the countries “Children’s Rights in Sports” document that was adopted by all 54 national sports federations. This document includes the following:

· There are no National championships before the age of 13;

· There are no regional championships before the age of 11;

· There are no scores kept or rankings of teams before age 11; and,

· And while competition is promoted, it is not promoted at the expense of the development of the child.

This document is based on the Norwegian education system where grades are not issued until children reach the age of thirteen. Now contrast that to the United States where, many schools also do not introduce grades until later ages; however, in the youth sports arena, anything goes at earlier and earlier ages. Examples of this are as follows:

· We have AAU Championships for second graders;

· Parents are paying $3000 a year club fees for their child(ren) to participate with “club” and “elite” teams;

· Hordes of unlicensed trainers are ready to assist in the chance to increase a child’s playing time (notice that Mr. Farry notes that the trainers are “unlicensed”);

· Parents, who are unaware of the science of athletic development, are worried that their child will be left behind if they aren’t training year-round to play a sport at the age of eight years old.

Now I’m sure at this point some people who are reading this are thinking that I’m just a liberal “trophies for all” kind of guy who doesn’t believe in competition. Believe me, that is so far from the truth. I believe that once you step on the field of play, you play to win; however, should that be at four, five or six years old when a child has yet to develop either physically or mentally?

Over the years, I have noticed and become concerned with what’s happening with youth sports in America. A “win all costs” mentality has taken over. Children are not being taught the basic fundamentals of the game they are playing and then being abused by coaches and parents when they make a mistake; elite, travel and “daddy ball” teams are destroying local recreation leagues; children being squeezed out of playing because they aren’t “good” at a young age and worst of all; unqualified coaches who aren’t teaching the game but just trying to win championships. Is this what we really want from our children’s youth sporting experience? I say no.

Now I realize that my comparison of Norway to the United States might not seem reasonable as Norway has a population of about 5.5 million people with 54 youth sports Federations while the United States has a population of approximately 330 million people with thousands of youth sports organizations, each that may be under a larger umbrella organization, but probably mostly autonomous when it comes to day-to-day operations. However, the point I’m trying to make is still a valid one, Norway is working on developing athletes at a young age who are happy, healthy and really ready to compete when they reach the age of 13 while the United States is promoting competition and championships in children as young as five years old, children who are neither physically or mentally prepared to play the game, let alone to play for championships, and as a result of this is 70% of American youth drop out of playing youth sports by the age of thirteen never to return.

Next week I plan on looking at the American Development Model (ADM) and discussing the possible advantages of using that model with our youth sports programs.