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What Can Sports Families Do to Build Healthy Athletes?

  • August 1, 2024
  • Preparation & Recovery, Teamwork, Trending
Parents

Tom Farrey headshot.We know that sports are hugely beneficial to children and young adults, from both a physical and mental standpoint. But sometimes, the sport systems that are in place don’t promote the healthiest practices for all athletes—and that can be difficult for families in youth sports to navigate.

Tom Farrey is the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, including the Project Play initiative, which works to foster healthy children and communities through sports. Here, he joins the TrueSport community to explain the issues facing youth sport in the U.S. today, and how parents can best help foster a love of sport for their young athletes.

Farrey first notes that it’s important to understand that while youth sports programs in the U.S. can be problematic at times, participation in sport activities is incredibly important for a child’s well-being. “Sport can be a tool of physical and mental health. The research is clear that kids who are physically active are one-tenth as likely to be obese compared to inactive kids,” says Farrey. “They’re more likely to stay in school. They’re more likely to go to college. In general, they engage in less risky behaviors.”

In 2008, Farrey, then an investigative reporter, released the book “Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children,” which highlighted some of the issues facing youth sport in the U.S. Soon after, he began working with the Aspen Institute to address some of the problems that he saw in youth sport and athlete development.

“The landscape of youth sport has gotten both better and worse since 2008,” he says. “I think there’s a greater understanding now about what ‘good’ looks like in a youth sport experience. We have a greater appreciation and understanding for the fact that kids should sample a variety of sports, hold off on specializing in any one until the teenager years, and I think there’s a wider variety of sports options compared to 20 years ago. And we’re more aware now of some of the gaps in the landscape in terms of access to sport.”

However, some things have not improved. “The youth sports industrial complex has grown since then,” Farrey adds. “There’s more of an emphasis now on treating youth sports as a tool of ‘sports tourism,’ so more travel teams for early ages have been formed to bring competitions to different places. Youth sport should be about the social benefits and physical benefits, with less emphasis on this all-in, year-round competition schedule that happens with travel teams.”

“The challenge is that in the U.S., we haven’t really set up our youth sport systems in a way that ensures that every kid who wants to play sports has an opportunity to do so.”

Parents also face a lot of pressure to do ‘the right thing’ for their young athletes, without a solid understanding of what’s actually healthy for their developing kids.

Here, Farrey has a few tips for how to ensure that your athlete is the happiest and healthiest version of themselves in sport:

 

1. Ask what your child wants from sport

“In general, what you want to do is start with having a conversation with your child about what sport they want to play, why they want to play, what success looks like for them, and what they’re hoping to get out of the experience,” says Farrey. Often, the answer may surprise you.

 

2. Put your sport interests aside

“Often, parents sign up their kids for whatever sports they think are going to be interesting or that they played themselves,” says Farrey. “They don’t actually have a conversation with the child to see what they are interested in. In that conversation with your child, you’ll realize how they’re wired, and you’re more likely to be able to design an experience that is going to meet their needs.”

For example, some children thrive in team sport environments like soccer or basketball, while others may prefer solo-oriented sports, like swimming or gymnastics. There isn’t a wrong answer: Lean into your child’s interests and accept that they may change over time. Remember, the discovery period is important for their healthy development and long-term interest in sport.

 

3. Examine your own motives

Parent sitting on sidelines outside with coolers and bags.“What the parent wants to get out of youth sport is less important than what the child wants to get out of it, but it is important to understand and question your own goals,” Farrey says. He recommends asking yourself questions like: “As a parent, what am I hoping that my child gets out of their sport? Is it something tangible like a scholarship? Is it a certain level of success that I did or did not achieve?” Ideally, he says, your goal for your child should be based on life-skill acquisition, like your athlete building resilience and practicing leadership.

“Most parents simply want sport to build character and healthy habits for a child that they can bring into adulthood,” he says. “But too often, parents don’t take the time to think through this, and they don’t identify what they want their child to experience, so they end up going with whatever is presented to them. This can unintentionally lead to outside pressures on your athlete.”

 

4. Check in with the local sport organization

Ask the program leaders if coaches are trained in key competencies in working with youth. This step is particularly important if your athlete is leaving the school sport system to play for club teams, or to do a sport like gymnastics, dance, or swimming that isn’t offered within the school district, which more often has a set of minimum standards. “Parents need to understand how unregulated some of these programs can be,” says Farrey.

“It’s important to ask your local sport organization a set of questions to ensure your athlete’s safety, as well as to ensure that your athlete will get the experience that they’re looking for. For example, ask if the coaches are trained and certified in basic health and safety, as well as current concussion protocols, if they’ve received Safe Sport training, and if they’ve had background checks. There’s often not a lot of regulation or rules for coaches, which means that unfortunately, a lot of the due diligence falls to the parents. You owe it to your youth athlete to be a good advocate for their safety.”

 

5. Don’t take advocacy to a negative place

While you do need to ensure that your youth athlete is training and competing in a safe program that has their best interests in mind, this doesn’t mean barking at the coach or referee during a competition, says Farrey. “We need advocacy at the front end, like making sure the youth coaches are qualified and know what they’re doing before you join a team. We don’t need parents who are screaming in the stands and second-guessing every decision a coach makes.”

 

6. Let kids experience play

“One of the most important components of youth sport is the concept of play,” says Farrey. “Play is what children are born to do. Play develops all sorts of skills: It teaches trial and error, resilience, problem solving, creativity, and teamwork. Play is important in order for anyone to live a healthy, productive life and become a useful citizen in our society.”

And sport is a natural space for children and young adults to experience play. “Play manifests itself in sports,” says Farrey. “When you see children doing creative things with a ball, trying crazy shots, struggling in the backyard trying to do a new routine or test out a new skill, that’s a form of play.”

 

7. Help your athlete fall in love with the sport—not feel like it’s a job

“We study the leading sports systems around the world, those that produce the highest percentage of kids who play sports, and those that develop the most Olympians and other elite athletes. We’ve seen that the most successful systems focus on play and joy in the sport,” says Farrey. “If you fall in love with the sport, you want to go out and keep playing. That’s where you develop the creativity and the motivation to stick with it, because it has captured your imagination. That’s the kind of culture we want to bring to youth sports in the U.S. Focus on joy at the core, not just winning.”

 ___________________________

Takeaway

Parents can help support healthy athletes by helping them develop a playful, joyous approach to sport. Allow your child to explore different sports and ask what they want to get from sport. Additionally, be aware of your own biases and visions of success for your youth athlete, and don’t allow your hopes and dreams to overshadow what your athlete actually wants. Focusing on play and enjoyment will lead to healthier athletes and people who ultimately compete better and longer in their chosen sport while also developing important life skills.

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.