No choice. 6U will become an official age group and will be treated like the others. No bumping up. We will see what happens to the participation level in those lower weights and make necessary adjustments after this year.

"We will see what happens to the participation level in those lower weights and make necessary adjustments after this year."

That is assuming the proposal passes or stays the same.

10. Add a 6 & Under State Championship series with the following provisions:
a. Each district holds a district championship on the Sunday following Kansas high school regionals. Four qualifiers from each district advance to the state championship.
b. The State Tournament Committee shall establish a location and procedures to be followed at the state championship, which will be held the Sunday following the Kansas high school state championships.
c. Competitors are limited to 6 &Under wrestlers who were at least four years old under Section III Article I. Rule 4-4-1.
d. The 8 &Under division shall be renamed the 7 & 8 division.
e. 6 &Under will be added as a division. The weight classes for this division shall be the same as the current 8 & Under division, with the addition of 37 lbs.

37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73, 76, 80, 88, 95, 110, 125

19 Weights is 304 wrestlers. The tournament will break even or make a little. When you consider how much they contribute to through card purchases finances are not an issue.

Ottawa is NOT centrally located. The brackets are too large and it is not an OFFICIAL state tournament.

Only the Wichita Classic (and other smaller tournaments that weekend) and the 6U Ottawa Tournament have 6U after the proposed dates. Nothing is stopping them from continuing that age group. We are not looking to MANDATE the end of the season only schedule the state series earlier.

I promise that this proposal has been well thought through and discussed. It is the right thing to do for these wrestlers.

Sean, you are starting to sound like One Big A. Mistake America. It is an OPPORTUNITY, not a mandate. This would make the 6U season basically 8 weeks in Kansas. Why would you DENY an opportunity to 2,000 plus wrestlers who paid their $35? No one is saying, ALL 6U WRESTLERS MUST GO TO DISTRICTS AND STATE. It is a choice. Sport0 and I TOTALLY agree.
_________________________
Will Cokeley
(708)267-6615
willcokeley@gmail.com


From one Big W to another,

I would not keep throwing out the 2,000 number. What percentage of that number went to Ottawa and what percentage decided not to go. How big of a tournament would each district be? We do have a percent or number of parents in that 6 & under division that are not in favor of a 6 year old state tournament. That age group (6 & under) is probably the largest particpation number in every sport acrossed the nation. I know every sport acrossed the nation does not have a state championship for six year olds and I also know some states do offer such opportunities. Attrition weeds them out and then they begin to learn the sport or activity of choice and wait their turn to go to the big dance.

Good healthy discussion - I hope the district and state meeting have a time limit and they vote - No or Yes.

The districts and state will be 6U only. Small tournaments that can be easily run in a very timely manner. One of the biggest knocks against wrestling is too much time in the gym. This proposal addresses that issue as well as creating an opportunity for these wrestlers. I am not sure how I am going to use any number other than 2,000 as we don't have any until we actually do this. I know that some of the brackets in Ottawa were 64 wrestler line brackets.

Sean, you still aren't saying WHY you are opposed or what is BAD about this proposal.

Why rename 8u? If you rename 8U you might as well rename 10u, 12u, and 14u. Leave it 8u. Everyone knows what 8u is, just like everyone knows what the other age groups are.

It was 8U because we allowed 5 & 6 year olds to wrestle. Now we will not.

The age groups and weights below were taken directly from the bylaws.



8 & Under
40, 43, 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73, 76, 80, 88, 95, 110, 125
9 & 10
52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73, 76, 79, 82, 85, 90, 95, 100, 110, 120, 130, 150, 170
11 & 12
64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88, 92, 96, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, 150, 165, 190, 215, 240
13 & 14
75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 175, 205, 235, 265
High School
100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 175, 185, 215, 250, 285

Sean, you still aren't saying WHY you are opposed or what is BAD about this proposal.

Give me supporting data on 6 and under sports where a state championship series is the norm. I need supporting data from other state organizations that says this is the right way to develope young children in these activities.

Jay Coakley's - Is this guy a distant cousin with a different spelling.


Youth Sports - From 2005
Quick Facts

Age in which children first have the capability to understand social dynamics of competitive sports: 8 years old

• Average stint in one sport : 5 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, National Council of Youth Sports, NCAA.org, Jay Coakley's "Sports in Society".

• Number of kids ages 5-19 in U.S.: 61,446,112
• Number of kids ages 5-18 that competes in 61 top sports organizations: 38,259,845

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, National Council of Youth Sports, NCAA.org, Jay Coakley's "Sports in Society".

Youth Age Divisions

Youth competitions typically take place in two-year age divisions. These age divisions provide young athletes the opportunity to compete with other athletes of similar ability. The age divisions for competition year 2005 are as follows:

Age Division Year of Birth
Bantam (10 & under) 1995+
Midget (11-12) 1993-1994
Youth (13-14) 1991-1992
Intermediate (15-16) 1989-1990
Young (17-18) 1987-1988


2005 Divisions
The Junior Olympics is divided into six divisions for boys and six divisions for girls. The athlete's year of birth shall determine the division in which the athlete shall compete. With each succeeding year each division shall be adjusted. Listed below are the 2005 divisions (NOTE: Sub-Bantams do not advance past the Region 2 Meet in both Track & Field and Cross Country):
Sub-Bantam: Born 1997 or after
Bantam: Born in 1995-1996
Midget: Born in 1993-1994
Youth: Born in 1991-1992
Intermediate: Born in 1989-1990
Young: Born in 1987-1988

(NOTE: Sub-Bantams do not advance past the Region 2 Meet in both Track & Field and Cross Country):

Hockey players are separated into levels based on their age.
• Mites--This is the youngest age group for youth hockey. There are two groups of mites, silver mites and gold mites. Silver mites consist of six year olds and younger, while gold mites consist of seven and eight year olds.
• Squirts--Squirts are between the ages of nine and ten years.
• Pee Wees--Pee Wee is a turning point in a hockey player's life for two reasons. One, it is the first year that body checking is introduced and allowed. Second, it is the first year in which a slap shot is allowed. Pee Wees are eleven and twelve years old.
• Bantams--Bantam is the age where competition and skill really begin to take over. Bantams are thirteen and fourteen years old.
• Midgets--Midgets are the oldest age group before adult or amateur hockey. Midgets are fifteen and sixteen years old.



This is another post from back in 2005

Any parent can start their own club and pay the CLUB FEES and then they get to vote. One vote per club at the state meeting in Salina - that is the way it works. We typically take 2 or 3 coaches from our club to the meeting and only one of us gets to vote. If our club and their parents and all other clubs parents show up we would need the Expo Center. The agenda is sent in advance to club representatives so we know what topics that needs to be voted on. When I need to get an EXPERT opinion - on kids, I ask our parents and coaches. One of our coaches is from a family of 15 kids and the other coach is from a family 14 (not experts - but they have a pretty good field lab). A couple other families in our club have large families with around 10 kids. I consider myself - from a family of 6 kids (novice) and have around 100 cousins on my dad's side and around 100 cousins on my mother's side. I get a bit of insight from my parents. My father was a social worker in the public school system and my mother -well you know her job. One of my brothers is a head high school wrestling coach and elementary teacher. This by no means makes these people or ME EXPERTS on today’s young children. I have left that up to the people who do the studies. I am sure the board members keep tabs on the forum and all the topics - but I doubt they get into it as much as I do. I have been involved with Kansas Kids Wrestling Since 1992. We have come a long way since then.

Coach Sean McCarthy

So, you think it is bad for wrestling because we are burning out kids?

How to Coach Tee Ball Without Going INSANE : FAQ
TEE BALL AGE
Q: Although my son's still tee ball age, I think he's ready to step up an age group and play machine pitch ball with the older kids. What do you think?

A: Why hurry? Your son's probably only 6 or 7 and has plenty of baseball ahead of him. Let's remember that only part of the reason you had your son play tee ball was to give him a sport to play. The other part of the reason you had him play tee ball was to expose him to the game of baseball in a way that had him focusing on the basic elements of what is arguably the most difficult skill to master in baseball: hitting. Remember that professional baseball players were hitting baseballs off of tees long before the first tee ball team was formed to improve their swings. The tee and the game of tee ball are, first and foremost, instruments to aid in player development. The game of tee ball develops good habits and some degree of muscle memory in players before pressure and the relative absence of maturity force them into bad habits while doing whatever it takes to put the bat on a pitched ball, whether that ball has been pitched by a machine, a coach, or by another player. I'd leave him in tee ball with his peers.


© 1998-2007 Bullhorn Media Group. All Rights Reserved.
www.insanebooks.com

19 weight classes is Outrageous for 5 & 6 year olds in comparison to the following tournaments & their 6 & U classes. I cannot fathom that there are (16) 5 & 6 y.o. that weigh 125 lbs in the State. Your talking about complete 16 man brackets.

Tournament examples:
6 & U Only
USJOC: 37-66 + HWT (only 1 in HWT): 5 entries in 66 [10 classes]
Tulsa Nationals: 37-60, LT HWT 61-70; 71-Up HWT [10 classes]
Rocky Mountain Nationals: (Monster Match) 37-74 [9 classes]
Big Horn Nationals: 35 - 40 - 45 - 50 - 55 - 60 -
65 - 70 - hwt.*
[ 9 classes ]
I guess I could keep searching but realistically the 8 & U weights are not suitable for the 6 & U wrestlers.

Moreso interesting would be the identification of the attrition within the 6 & U group that does not make it past 1 month of practice because its not WWE or how many only go to Novice tournamnents throughout the season. The $$$ cannot substantiate the potential loss within this group. More review apparently needs to be done in regards to the weights as I'm sure most of the 40#'rs in the 8 y.o.'s are truly 6U.

Pushing too hard too young
Take away the fun factor in sports and kids can burn out Advertisement | ad info
. F.Birchman / MSNBC.com By Jacqueline Stenson
MSNBC contributor

msnbc.com msnbc.com
updated 4/29/2004 11:23:55 AM ET 2004-04-29T15:23:55
Share Print Font: +-Intense training schedules. Pressure to win and be the best. Painful injuries. Given all these factors, it’s not surprising that some athletes simply burn out on their sport. But what is shocking to many in the field are the young ages at which this is increasingly happening -- sometimes as early as 9 or 10.

The scenario often goes something like this: Eager to nurture the next A-Rod or Michelle Kwan, parents enroll their 5- or 6-year-olds in a competitive sports league or program. Over the next few years, training intensifies and expands to the off-season, making practice essentially year-round. Youngsters may join more than one league or a traveling team. They may have to sacrifice other interests and give up most of the down time that allows them to just be kids.

Soon the stakes get higher because many parents and coaches play to win. Winning means recognition and that could lead to lucrative opportunities -– high school championships then college scholarships and perhaps a shot at the pros.

“Kids sports have become much more competitive,” says Dr. Jordan Metzl, medical director of the Sports Medicine Institute for Young Athletes at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

“And in general, high-level competition for young kids is not a great thing,” says Metzl, co-author of “The Young Athlete: A Sports Doctor’s Complete Guide for Parents.”

With more kids than ever in organized sports, an estimated 30 million of them up through high school, Metzl and other experts in sports medicine and youth athletics say they are increasingly concerned about the pressures put on some children to excel. Not only are these youngsters at risk for emotional burnout, they may also develop injuries that plague them for a lifetime. Some will turn to steroids or other performance-enhancing substances to try to gain an edge. And some may give up on sports -– and exercise -- altogether.

'It's not fun anymore'
Kids with a strong internal drive may thrive on the competition. But the pressure can be too much for others, particularly grade-schoolers who aren't as equipped to deal with the stress as older athletes.

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.And the goals of sports for young kids can differ dramatically from those of their parents and coaches, says youth fitness researcher Avery Faigenbaum, an associate professor of exercise science at the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

“Most children would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench of a winning team,” he says.

When Faigenbaum asks kids who've quit why they're no longer interested in sports, their typical response: "It's not fun anymore." They wanted to have a good time, make friends and learn something new, he says. But make the game all about hard-core training and the final score, and many kids will sideline themselves.

“They’re getting turned off of sports at a young age -– and that’s a sad tale,” says Faigenbaum.

There’s ample evidence that sports participation can have important benefits for kids, including improved physical health and emotional well-being. Hopefully, they’ll also learn life lessons in teamwork, discipline, leadership and time management. But kids can't profit from these benefits if they're quitting sports early on.

A new ball game
While parents may have spent much of their early childhoods riding bikes around the neighborhood, playing pick-up games of baseball or basketball with the local kids and maybe joining Little League, today’s youngsters often fall into two disparate groups: those who sit inside playing video games and those who participate in organized competitive sports like soccer, ice hockey and basketball.

A big difference today is that kids involved in sports play harder and younger than ever, says Steve Marshall, an assistant professor of epidemiology and orthopedics at the Injury Prevention Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And with dreams of college scholarships and multi-million dollar professional contracts, the competition can get out of hand, he says.

“Youth sports have become about more than kids having fun," says Marshall. "Frankly it’s beginning to get out of control. It’s almost a national obsession.”

Certainly coaches who treat young athletes like military recruits can be a big problem. So can athletes who take the game too seriously and play when they’re injured or, as they enter the teen years, turn to performance-enhancing substances that they hear of their idols in the big leagues using.

Parents the prime culprits
But experts in the field mostly point to parents as the prime culprits in promoting a competition-crazed environment in youth sports.

"Parents tend to think everyone’s going to the Olympics,” says Patrick Mediate, a physical education teacher and coordinator of the strength and conditioning program at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Conn.

Of course, many parents are a positive force, supporting their children and making sports participation possible by taking the time to drive kids to and from practice and games. But parents who live vicariously through their children can be problematic, experts say. It's one thing for kids to dream of Olympic gold medals or Super Bowl rings and to work toward those goals. But it's another matter if parents are pushing their kids to do something they don't want or pressuring them to succeed in a way that’s hurtful.

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.Marilyn Enmark, a youth soccer coach in Detroit, says she’s seen her share of overbearing parents.

Recently, one of her players, a 7-year-old boy, hit the boards during an indoor game and was holding his head. His father, a former soccer player himself, went over to the boy but rather than asking him how he was feeling, scolded him for playing poorly. A week later, his mother called him over after a play and she, too, sharply criticized him. “He was sobbing,” Enmark says.

Parents -- and coaches -- who push too hard too young, particularly when they emphasize winning above all else, can easily wipe out a child’s motivation to play, says Dr. Henry Goitz, chief of sports medicine at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo.

“They may be preventing the next Michael Jordan from coming to be,” says Goitz, a team physician for the Toledo high schools and a former team doctor for the Detroit Lions. “They can take the heart out of a kid.”

But not all pushing is bad, says Michael Bergeron, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He acknowledges, however, that there's no good answer on where to draw the line.

“You need to know your child,” he says. If kids truly hate a sport, then let them quit. But maybe they just need some encouragement. Some 19- or 20-year-olds may wish their parents had pushed them more to stick with sports when they were younger rather than giving up, he adds.

Injury toll
Aside from the psychological pressures that young athletes may experience from intense training and competition, physical complaints are a growing concern, sports medicine specialists say.
One of the most comprehensive surveys to date, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that from 1997 to 1999 sports and recreation-related injuries were more common nationwide than injuries from traffic accidents. Americans ages 5 to 24 were most likely to be treated for sports-related injuries by health professionals. Kids 5 to 14 had the highest injury rates of all -– 59.3 episodes per 1,000 people. That’s slightly higher than the rate for people 15 to 24 (56.4 per 1,000) but substantially greater than the rates for those 25 to 44 (21 per 1,000) and 45 and up (6.2 per 1,000).
A fifth of kids lost one or more school days a year because of their complaints. Strains and sprains accounted for the most injuries overall, followed by fractures. Among kids 5 to 14, bicycling was associated with the most injuries, followed by basketball, football, playground equipment and baseball or softball. In those 15 to 24, basketball and football were linked to the most injuries.
Greater sports participation, particularly among girls in recent decades, is one reason injuries appear to be rising, experts say. A study published last September in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that over the last 30 years in the area around Rochester, Minn., forearm fractures, many of them resulting from sports and recreation activities, increased 56 percent in girls and 32 percent in boys, mostly among kids in the preteen and early teen years. Also on the rise are knee injuries known as anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, tears that are more likely to affect girls, often those who play basketball or soccer.
Another factor that contributes to sports injuries is the couch-potato culture where kids lounge around all summer watching TV, for instance, and then jump into a sport in the fall when they’re woefully out of shape. “The musculoskeletal systems of boys and girls may not be prepared for sports,” says Faigenbaum. “They’re an absolute set-up for injury.”
On the flip side, too much training can lead to overuse injuries such as "Little League elbow," which results from repetitive throws, and stress fractures.
advertisement | ad info Advertisement | ad infoAdvertisement | ad info.Metzl diagnosed a pelvic stress fracture in one 9-year-old girl who had been playing soccer two to three hours a day, five to six days a week. But in kids like her, diet could also be a contributing factor. Too much soda and not enough milk can weaken bones. So he now orders bone density tests on young athletes with curious stress fractures and tracks the kids over time.
Early specialization questioned
A big issue, many experts in the field say, is the push for kids to specialize in a single sport very early in life –- well before puberty.
“This has backfired in our faces,” Faigenbaum says. “It truly doesn’t work.”
Kids may hone certain skills in a particular sport with early, intense specialization, but they can also burn out emotionally and physically. And they may not necessarily be achieving the goal they or their parents hoped for -- becoming the best athlete they can be in that sport, he notes.
“When you play different sports, you use a variety of motor skills -– jumping, running, twisting –- that can transfer to a lot of sports,” Faigenbaum says. But if young kids focus on just one sport, they may not reap these benefits.
“There’s absolutely no evidence that says that if a [child] athlete plays just one sport that will guarantee success as a teen or adult,” he says, adding there’s actually more evidence that if they diversify they’ll play better. Ask most pro athletes what they were doing at age 10, he says, and most will say they were playing two to three sports, not just one.
Focusing on a single activity also puts all of a young athlete's eggs in one basket, says Metzl. If kids don’t try other sports, how do they know whether or not they might like those sports more -- or be better at them?
And even top-notch athletes can tire of their sport because of what it takes to win. At Greenwich High School, the boys' swim team program has been hugely successful, losing only one meet in the last 25 years. But just a handful of the athletes have gone on to swim in college, says Mediate.
“They have double practice sessions -- morning and night –- almost every day for 10 years,” he says. “So it does add up. It’s burnout.”
© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints
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Problems In Youth Sports
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By: James White and Gerald Masterson, Ph.D.

Can participating in competitive sports at too young of an age have a negative effect on our children and their future in sports? Starting ages for youth in competitive sports have lowered dramatically in the past two decades. Andrew Ferguson (1999) estimated that 40 million children are involved in competitive sports. It's not just the numbers that are staggering, but the manner in which kids are playing. Children who get involved in organized competitive sports at a young age may find themselves tired of the game they once loved. Young athletes are becoming increasingly stressed because of the pressure they are getting from their parents and coaches. They are traveling further, playing more games, and spending less time just being kids (Ferguson).

Children in today's era find themselves with a variety of competitive sports to choose from at earlier ages. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) boys and girls basketball, baseball/softball, soccer, football, volleyball, start as young as nine, while Little League Baseball and softball can start as early as five with tee-ball. Pop Warner, which is the nation's oldest football organization, starts at five. The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) has kids competing at the age of four. While winning may not be the focus of these leagues it can be the focus of the parents.

When considering sports participation one should take into account the developmental age as well as the chronological age of a child before competing. Paulo David, author of Human Rights in Youth Sport: A Critical Review of Children's Rights in Competitive Sports, found that children don't always understand the concept of competition until age of six or seven. Children under nine may be incapable of differentiating between the concept of effort and that of ability. This means that they believe winning is achieved by how hard they try and that losing means they did not trying hard enough (David).

Sports knowledge development in children at a young age is essential. In the Primary grades children should be taught the rules of games and the structure of the game. Training for these children should be informal and playful in nature (Slentz & Krogh). With little or no emphasis on wins or losses which can often leads to emotional distress and long term refusal to be involved in competitive sports. Sports should be designed to improve a child's self concept in the early years (Essa).

In the book Why Johnny Hates Sports?, the author Fred Engh states "that if kids are competitive at early ages, then they may not be trained in how to fail. If all the focus is on winning, kids may be scared to fail and make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process and it's how one improves. Failures can result in success, if we are teaching kids to learn from mistakes. If kids are never allowed to fail and are yelled at, pulled out every time they do something wrong then we are training them to be afraid to shoot or try. They are not going to want the ball for fear of making a mistaken and being taking out or humiliated in front of their peers. Allowing children to try and fail diminishes their fear of their parents, coaches, peers, and of humiliation because they are encouraged to try (Engh).

Too much competition too early may cause burnout. The term "burnout" is a relatively new term with children in competitive sports. Burnout can be defined as "the athlete's natural response to chronic, ongoing stress." By age thirteen burnouts begin to manifest and children start quitting their given sports (Lawrence). Burnout in kids' sports can be caused by a "play at all costs" attitude by the parents and coaches, by overtraining and excessive travel.

The problem starts when the sport becomes more like a job than play. These coaches and parents believe that by playing all the time it will translate to winning and possible visibility and then scholarships. We believe that parents no doubt want what is best for their kids. But with this win and play at all costs there is mounting evidence parents are cheating to give their kids an edge. They even lie about their child's age to gain an advantage and get more exposure. Parents are looking to prepare their child for Division I athletic scholarships or a professional career.

To gain an advantage parents insist that their children practice and play year-round to insure they have the best skills necessary to compete and be a starter in high school and on their club teams. Training and traveling all year round takes its toll on children. One report, noted that forced participation in competitive youth sports by parents can constitute as a form of abuse by parents because they are taking the childhood from the child. They want their children to specialize.

A study done by America Sports Data Inc. found that, in youth organized sports, 69% of all parents want their children to play only one sport. If the child is between six and eight years old, 79% of those parents want their child to play only one sport. Of all the sports organization in 2004, 44% of the children stated they only wanted to play one sport (Maher). If the child and his or her parents want the child to participate in only one sport, than the coach is more than happy to accommodate. To avoid burnout Children should wait until high school before specializing in a sport. In the book by Joel Spring, Making Athletics a Positive Experience for Your Child: 101 Ways to be a Terrific Sports Parent, he explains that children are not even physically capable of handling competitive sports. Most young kids are not capable of handling vigorous practices or games that are required in specializing of a sport. If children don't specialize in sports at a young age, they will be better suited learning how to develop a variety of motor and athletic skills that transfer from one sport to another and can't be developed by specializing (Fish).

There is no doubt that youth sports have become a huge force in society. Today's forms of youth sports, which are competitive in nature, are hurting the future sports of involvement for many reasons.

First, the age and nature of youth sports begins at too early. Second, children are being burned-out of sports at a young age. Third, the specialization of sports has dramatically affected participation in other numerous sports and the development of transferable skills. Finally, children are being pressured by parents to participate early to gain an advantage over their peers. With these factors affecting our youth, the future of high school sports might be in jeopardy. The trend is still so young that we don't know the long term societal effects of early competition on future participants but many are quitting. We need to remember that these are just games and should be fun and enjoyable to those who participate in.

ReferencesFerguson, Andrew. (1999). Inside the Crazy Culture of Kids Sports. Time. 1-8.
David, Paulo. (2004). Human Rights in Youth Sport: A Critical Review of Children's Rights in Competitive Sports. Nashville, TN: Rutledge.
Essa, Eva.(2002). Introduction to Early Childhood Education, 4E. Stamford, CT. Thomson Delmar Learning.
Slentz, K & Krogh, S. (2001). Early Childhood Development and its Variations. Florence, KY. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Engh, Fred. (2002). Why Johnny Hates Sports. Garden City Park, NY. Square One.
Lawrence, Jean. (2004). Stress of Youth Sports. WebMD Feature. 1-2.
Wolff, Rick. (1997). Good Sports: The Concerned Parents Guide to Competitive Youth Sports, 2E. Champaign, IL. Sports Publishing, LLC.
Taylor, Jim. (2002). Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child. Hyperion.
Susani, D & Stewart, C. (2007). Specialization in Sport: How Early?...How Necessary?. Retrieved on February 12, 2007, from website: http://www.coachesinfo.com/article/7/
Maher, Charles. (2005). School Sports Psychology: Perspectives, Programs and Procedures. Binghamton, NY. Haworth Press.
Fish, Joel. (2003). 101 Ways to be a Terrific Sports Parent: Making Athletics a Positive Experience for Your Child. New York, NY. Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Votano, Paul. (2000). The Trouble With Youth Sports: What the Problems are and How to Solve Them. Philadelphia, PA. Xlibris Corporation.

ABSTRACT
Top
Abstract
Introduction
References

Participation in organized sports provides an opportunity for young people to increase their physical activity and develop physical and social skills. However, when the demands and expectations of organized sports exceed the maturation and readiness of the participant, the positive aspects of participation can be negated. The nature of parental or adult involvement can also influence the degree to which participation in organized sports is a positive experience for preadolescents. This updates a previous policy statement on athletics for preadolescents and incorporates guidelines for sports participation for preschool children. Recommendations are offered on how pediatricians can help determine a child's readiness to participate, how risks can be minimized, and how child-oriented goals can be maximized.

INTRODUCTION
Top
Abstract
Introduction
References

Participation in organized sports can have physical and social benefits for children. However, the younger the participant, the greater the concern about safety and benefits. The involvement of preadolescents in organized sports is a relatively recent phenomenon. In the early 20th century, physical activity was a more regular part of life for the average child. Sports and games provided an additional outlet for physical activity and were characterized by play that was generally spontaneous, unstructured, and without adult involvement. Participation in such sports and games allowed for development of motor skills, social interaction, creativity, and enjoyment for participants.

During the latter part of the 20th century, "free play" or unstructured games primarily gave way to organized sports. The starting age for organized sports programs has also evolved to the point that infant and preschool training programs are now available for many sports. Organization of sports has potential benefits of coaching, supervision, safety rules, and proper equipment but can also create demands and expectations that exceed the readiness and capabilities of young participants. Organization can also shift the focus to goals that are not necessarily child oriented. Clearly, the nature of the organization can determine if it has a positive or negative influence.

This statement is an update to a previous policy statement on athletics for preadolescents1 and incorporates guidelines for sports participation for preschool children.2 Recommendations are made on how pediatricians can help determine a child's readiness to participate in organized sports, how risks can be minimized, and how child-oriented goals can be maximized.

ORGANIZED SPORTS PROGRAMS: LIMITATIONS AND RISKS

The effects of organized sports participation on growth and maturation have come under question, as have the effects of growth and maturation on the ability to participate in sports. Because children are beginning to train and compete at earlier ages, there is increasing concern about potential negative effects on growth and maturation. Reports of gymnasts and divers with short stature or ballet dancers with lean body types or late menarche have contributed to such concerns. Despite such reports, it is unclear if these characteristics were a result of intensive training or other factors, such as dietary practices, psychological and emotional stress, or selection bias for the sport.3

The effects of immaturity on sports participation are more obvious. When the demands of a sport exceed a child's cognitive and physical development, the child may develop feelings of failure and frustration. Even with coaches available to teach rules and skills of a sport, children may not be ready to learn or understand what is being taught. Furthermore, many coaches are not equipped to deal with the needs or abilities of children. Basic motor skills, such as throwing, catching, kicking, and hitting a ball, do not develop sooner simply as a result of introducing them to children at an earlier age.4 Teaching or expecting these skills to develop before children are developmentally ready is more likely to cause frustration than long-term success in the sport.5 Because most youth sports coaches are volunteers with little or no formal training in child development, they cannot be expected to correctly match demands of a sport with a child's readiness to participate. Educational programs are available for youth sports coaches, but most coaches do not participate. Nonetheless, coaches may still try to teach what often cannot be learned and blame resulting failures on shortcomings of athletes or themselves.

Parental or adult supervision of children's activity is usually considered to be desirable. However, in organized sports, inappropriate or overzealous parental or adult influences can have negative effects. Adults' involvement in children's sports activities may bring goals or outcome measures that are not oriented toward young participants. Tournaments, all-star teams, most valuable player awards, trophies, and awards banquets are by-products of adult influences. Despite good intentions, increased involvement of adults does not necessarily enhance the child athlete's enjoyment. The familiar image of a parent imploring their 5-year-old to "catch the ball," "kick the ball," or "run faster" is a reminder of how adult encouragement can have discouraging effects.

ORGANIZED SPORTS PROGRAMS: BENEFITS

In contrast to unstructured or free play, participation in organized sports provides a greater opportunity to develop rules specifically designed for health and safety. Organization can allow for the establishment of developmentally sound criteria for determining readiness to play. Organization can also allow for a fair process in choosing teams,6 matching competitors,7 and enforcing rules. Rules specifically targeted at younger athletes can reduce injuries. Recommendations have been made to limit dangerous practices, such as headfirst sliding in baseball8 and body checking in hockey.9 Safety accommodations associated with organized youth sports can also include smaller playing fields, shorter contest times, pitch counts for Little League pitchers, softer baseballs, matching opponents by weight in youth football, and adjusting play for extreme climatic conditions.10 The availability of qualified coaches in organized sports can be a key factor in providing safety and a positive experience.

In this regard, the effects of organization provide positive environments for young participants. Unfortunately, not all youth sports participants have access to all known safety measures. Furthermore, a great deal remains to be learned about safety in youth sports. Additional resources are needed to study injury prevention and ensure that all participants will benefit from existing safety measures. The prospects for additional development and implementation of safety measures are far greater for organized sports than for unstructured free play.

Despite many potential benefits of organization, there is no consensus as to the overall value of organized sports for preadolescents. A return to the days of free play has been suggested as one means to eliminate negative aspects of organized sports. Unfortunately, the days when children had the time, opportunity, or inclination to play in neighborhoods or local parks have passed. Today, there are more demands on a young person's time, more options for free time, diminished requirements for regular physical activity, and fewer opportunities for free play. School-based physical education programs have also been reduced throughout the years and can no longer be relied on to provide adequate levels of healthy activity.11

Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of many adult health problems, including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.12 However, with less time dedicated to free play and school physical education programs, the result may be lower activity levels and lower levels of fitness for children. There is a greater need to protect opportunities for structured and unstructured physical activity for children. Organized sports may not provide all physical activity needs but can be a viable means to increase activity levels in children and, hopefully, lead to the adoption of active lifestyles as adults.

Organized Sports Programs: Optimizing the
Benefit-to-Risk Ratio

If organized sports are going to be safe, healthy, and beneficial for children and preadolescents, there must be reasonable goals for participation and appropriate strategies to attain these goals. Reasonable goals for children and preadolescents participating in organized sports include acquisition of basic motor skills, increasing physical activity levels, learning social skills necessary to work as a team, learning good sportsmanship, and having fun.13

Organized sports sessions should be tailored to match the developmental level of participants. Most preschool children have short attention spans and are easily distracted; therefore, exercise sessions should be short and emphasize playfulness, experimentation, and exploration of a wide variety of movement experiences. A reasonable format would consist of no longer than 15 to 20 minutes of structured activity combined with 30 minutes of free play. Concentration will be maximized if instructional sessions take place in a setting with minimal distraction. Instructing younger children using a show-and-tell format with physical demonstration may be more effective than with verbal instruction.

For children and preadolescents, factors such as fun, success, variety, freedom, family participation, peer support, and enthusiastic leadership encourage and maintain participation, whereas others such as failure, embarrassment, competition, boredom, regimentation, and injuries discourage subsequent participation.14

Pediatricians, as experts in child development, can help parents and coaches determine readiness of a child to participate in organized sports. Readiness is often defined relative to the demands of the sport. Because different sports and even the same sport may vary widely with respect to demands and expectations, pediatricians must understand these demands to help determine if they are appropriate for the physical and cognitive maturation of participants. Preparticipation examinations are typically not mandated until junior high and high school. However, annual examinations for younger children afford an opportunity to promote physical activity and address issues of readiness as they apply to organized sports.

Pediatricians can further advocate safe sports participation by promoting better education and training of youth sports coaches. Standards for coaching competency are available, and certification for youth sports coaches should address these competencies.15 In addition, pediatricians can work with sports administrators and coaches within their community to share relevant information on child development, injury assessment, first aid, and injury prevention. Pediatricians can also take an active role in developing safety programs while ensuring that existing safety measures are observed. A pediatrician may be one of the few adults who can objectively determine when pressures and expectations of organized sports become excessive for any individual or group. Finally, pediatricians can serve as role models for appropriate sideline behavior and can help parents and other adults remember the reasons children want to participate.

SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Organized sports for children and preadolescents provide an opportunity for increased physical activity and an opportunity to learn sports and team skills in an environment where risks of participation can potentially be controlled. Unfortunately, when demands and expectations of the sport exceed the maturation or readiness of the participant, benefits of participation are offset. The shift from child-oriented goals to adult-oriented goals can further negate positive aspects of organized sports.

To optimize the safety and benefits of organized sports for children and preadolescents and to preserve this valuable opportunity for young people to increase their physical activity levels, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following:


1. Organized sports programs for preadolescents should complement, not replace, the regular physical activity that is a part of free play, child-organized games, recreational sports, and physical education programs in the schools. Regular physical activity should be encouraged for all children whether they participate in organized sports or not.

2. Pediatricians are encouraged to help assess developmental readiness and medical suitability for children and preadolescents to participate in organized sports and assist in matching a child's physical, social, and cognitive maturity with appropriate sports activities.

3. Pediatricians can take an active role in youth sports organizations by educating coaches about developmental and safety issues, monitoring the health and safety of children involved in organized sports, and advising committees on rules and safety.

4. Pediatricians are encouraged to take an active role in identifying and preserving goals of sports that best serve young athletes.

5. Additional research and resources are needed to:

a a. determine the optimal time for children to begin participating in organized sports;

b b. identify safe and effective training strategies for growing and developing athletes;

c c. educate youth sports coaches about unique needs and characteristics of young athletes; and

d d. develop effective injury prevention strategies.

Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness, 2000-2001

Reginald L. Washington, MD, Chairperson

David T. Bernhardt, MD

Jorge Gomez, MD

Miriam D. Johnson, MD

Thomas J. Martin, MD

Thomas W. Rowland, MD

Eric Small, MD

Liaisons

Claire LeBlanc, MD

Canadian Pediatric Society

Carl Krein, AT, PT

National Athletic Trainers Association

Robert Malina, PhD

Institute for the Study of Youth Sports

Judith C. Young, PhD

National Association for Sport and Physical Education

Section Liaison

Frederick E. Reed, MD

Section on Orthopaedics

CONSULTANTS

Steven Anderson, MD

Stephen Bolduc, MD

Oded Bar-Or, MD

Staff

Heather Newland

Committee on School Health, 2000-2001

Howard L. Taras, MD, Chairperson

David A. Cimino, MD

Jane W. McGrath, MD

Robert D. Murray, MD

Wayne A. Yankus, MD

Thomas L. Young, MD

Liaisons

Missy Fleming, PhD

American Medical Association

Maureen Glendon, RNCS, MSN, CRNP

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners

Lois Harrison-Jones, EdD

American Association of School Administrators

Jerald L. Newberry, MEd, Executive Director

National Education Association, Health Information Network

Evan Pattishall III, MD

American School Health Association

Mary Vernon, MD, MPH

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Linda Wolfe, RN, BSN, MEd, CSN

National Association of School Nurses

Staff

Su Li, MPA

FOOTNOTES

The recommendations in this statement do not indicate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as a standard of medical care. Variations, taking into account individual circumstances, may be appropriate.





REFERENCES
Top
Abstract
Introduction
References
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness Organized athletics for preadolescent children. Pediatrics 1989; 84:583 [Abstract/Free Full Text]
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness Fitness, activity, and sports participation in the preschool child. Pediatrics 1992; 90:1002-1004 [Abstract/Free Full Text]
Malina RM Physical growth and biological maturation of young athletes. Exerc Sports Sci Rev 1994; 22:389-433
Branta C, Haubenstricker J, Seefeldt V Age changes in motor skills during childhood and adolescence. Exerc Sports Sci Rev 1984; 12:467-520
Stryer B, Toffler IR, Lapchick R A developmental overview of child and youth sports in society. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin North Am 1998; 7:697-724 [Medline]
Kamm RL A developmental and psychoeducational approach to reducing conflict and abuse in Little League and youth sports. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin North Am 1998; 7:891-918 [Medline]
Roemmich JN, Rogol A Physiology of growth and development: its relationship to performance in the young athlete. Clin Sports Med 1995; 14:483-503 [Medline]
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness Risk of injury from baseball and softball in children. Pediatrics 2000; 107:782-784 [Abstract/Free Full Text]
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness Safety in youth ice hockey: the effects of body checking. Pediatrics 2000; 105:657-658 [Abstract/Free Full Text]
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness Climatic heat stress and the exercising child. Pediatrics 2000; 106:158-159 [Abstract/Free Full Text]
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness Physical fitness and the schools. Pediatrics 2000; 105:1156-1157 [Abstract/Free Full Text]
US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 1996
Martens R, Seefeldt V, eds. Guidelines for Children's Sports. Reston, VA: National Association for Sport and Physical Education; 1979:1-47
Rowland TW. Clinical approaches to the sedentary child. In: Exercise and Children's Health. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Books; 1990:259-274
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. National Standards for Athletic Coaches: Quality Coaches, Quality Sports. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co; 1995:1-124

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Pediatrics (ISSN 0031 4005). Copyright ©2001 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

Seriously Sean, you are killing the desire to read an learn from the forum by bombarding us with information. A simple link to the article would suffice.

No one wants to read these lengthy posts.

Seriously Will,

Provide me a link, an article, and or data that supports your position. I have tried to find one - not many out there.

Sean

Truth hurts sometimes - I am trying to find information to make an objective decision.

Why not support the opportunity. If it doesn't work it won't be renewed. There is nothing lost by trying something new and letting the market determine whether or not it should exist. If no one attends and the weight classes are empty we will go back to drawing board. I really don't think that will be the case but I don't think it is right for us to decide what is best for the kids, that is the parents job.

The costs are not that great. I managed the middle school state tournament last year and we only had 220 wrestlers but made a profit even incurring some first year costs. If 150 wrestlers pay 20 then that is $3,000. That will cover the arena and officials. Cost is absolutely NOT an issue.

What doesn't support my position Sean? They are wrestling right now on those weekends? They drive all the way to Ottawa two weeks later and wrestle. I am trying to move the date back, provide a safer drive, put the event in a better facility, and hopefully a bunch of these kids will attend 4A state the night before to support high school wrestling. Your arguement doesn't hold water because the parents and wrestlers are already doing it. You want to eliminate 6U from wrestling period. That is a whole different arguement. I could care less about t-ball, tiddly winks, badmitton, soccer, football, hockey, or curling. This is a wrestling forum. The numbers speak for themselves. The kids buy the cards and wrestle in the tournaments. If 6U's are wrestling 8U at state we are going to fix that. If 40lbs isn't attended this year then we will remove it as a 8U weight class. We need data not speculation. I am not going to google the internet all day looking for PHD's to back up a proposal that already makes common sense.

Sean, you have NO arguement against this tournament proposal. You are arguing against having 6U kids involved in sports at all. That is a different debate for a different time.

Cost should not be the issue!

Seriously Will,

Provide me a link, an article, and or data that supports your position. I have tried to find one - not many out there.

Sean