Do parents push their children too much in youth sport?

Youth sports seem to have taken a turn for the worst when it comes to parents pushing their children. When you think of youth sports you shouldn’t think of parents yelling at their children for messing up or parents getting in fights with other parents. Youth sports should be about kids playing for fun and making new friend, right? Here is a sad video of what can happen when parents cross the line in youth sports.

One of the reasons for these types of actions could be how publicized professional sports are these days. When parents see how much revenue professional athletes make they need to realize that the chances of actually getting there are very slim and that by pushing their children to the max in youth sports most likely won’t get them there. Parents shouldn’t put children in sports expecting to one day live off their child’s wealth. Another reason for these actions could be parents trying to live through their children and that’s just sad. Just because a parent can no long play sports there is no need to try to live through their child, push them too hard and make a negative experience for the kids.

From personal experience I have seen all this first hand. When I played in junior tennis tournaments I saw parents yelling at their children, getting into arguments with other parents and even getting kick out of the tournament grounds for inappropriate behavior. Need I remind you that was all at TENNIS tournaments! I personally believe that parents should be required to sign some type of form during registration stating that they will not create that type of atmosphere for the children and if they do, appropriate actions will the taken. There is no reason for parents to put negative pressures in youth sports. Lets go back to making sports fun for kids not a job.

Children’s success in sport depends mostly on parents and coaches. It is very important to be positive role models and help children be positive, competitive and have fun at the same time. I found some good tips on how to be a good parent and coach in youth sport. If you have a child in youth sports take a second and make sure you are doing the right things and acting in the right way!

Should College Athletes be Paid?

The issue of whether or not college athletes should get paid has always been a big debate among student athletes and the NCAA. This issue arises mostly with large sports revenue universities like, the University of Georgia, and the University of Southern California.
Other than covering the athlete’s tuition, books, game travel, and room and board, athletes do not receive any type of tangible money. So, where does the money go, and why doesn’t more go to the athletes that bring in most of the revenue? This is the argument that some are for and against. Me, however, I am for athletes receiving an extra amount of money along with their scholarship. They are working for the school, so why shouldn’t they get paid for their time.
Student athletes on an average practice a minimum of 20 hours and on top of that attend school full-time. During season the hours increase due to games that sometimes include long hours of travel. With all those hours worked a week to improve at their sport, how are student athletes expected to get a part time job to have some extra spending money? I think student athletes should at least be paid minimum wage for every hour spent at formal practices and sanctioned games and events. This salary along with a full scholarship better justifies the work that the student athletes put in for the school. According to University of Georgia Athletic Association, in the fiscal year of 2009 the school received more than $76 million from sports alone. Without the athletes, the $76 million dollars would not be possible.
In my opinion, if the student athletes are making the school over $76 million a year, they should definitely get a cut from that hefty paycheck. Wouldn’t you want to be paid for your face and name being used in a video game and on apparel worn by so many?