Let me first address that final point. There was a time not
so long ago when high school coaches were forbidden from working with their
players in the summertime; in fact they were, as well, only allowed to meet once in the off-seasons
with the players. Not only could they not work with the players over the
summer, they weren’t even allowed to work at camps which their players
attended. I’m sure the NJSIAA’s policy was well intended, but oftentimes it
resulted in a cat and mouse game with coaches reporting on other coaches, while
coaches became stealthy and secretive in their activities.
That rule has since been rescinded, and now the pendulum has
swung the other way, with many coaches now reaping incredible financial rewards
working with their players and those from other programs. It’s no coincidence
that the year the rule was rescinded we saw the rise of Tri-State Lacrosse,
probably the gold standard of travel programs, at least in lacrosse.
High school players have become willing commodities in this
new market for year round athletes, with parents paying thousands of dollars to
help provide their kids with “opportunities” for more training, exposure, and
competitive play. You didn’t think that coaches would work with their players
out of the goodness of their hearts when there was a buck or two to be made?
And it’s not just the high school athletes, increasingly
these programs promote to players as young as fourth grade. Summertime used to
be a time for unorganized play, having fun, relieving stress, and giving your
body time to develop properly. Now we have doctors seeing pre-teens showing
signs of injuries once reserved for college age players.
When I started this article I was actually feeling some
sympathy for the high school coaches caught up in this, but the more I write
the more the more I realize that a large number of these coaches are complicit
in this enterprise. It’s hard not to turn away I suppose. Truth be told I may
end up coaching a summer team myself, though as a volunteer.
What I wonder is how many parents do an actual cost-benefit
analysis of these programs and their motivation for getting involved. Are they
hoping to gain a competitive advantage for their kids? Are they simply looking
for an activity that would be “fun” for their youngster? Are they desperately
looking for a way they can “bond” with their child?
It is certainly true that competitive team sports can teach
invaluable “life lessons” to their children, and that definitely can’t be
dismissed. But are travel teams necessary to impart these “lessons?” Just as it
is important to acknowledge the positives of organized sports, there are some
other facts that must be acknowledged as well.
According to a 2013 Michigan State survey, thirty five
million children ages 5-18 play organized sports, with approximately 66% of
boys and 52% of girls getting involved. But by the age of 13, 70% of them drop
out, and an ever increasing number of those that remain are being drawn to
these summer travel programs and becoming year-round “specialists” in one or
two particular sports. I’ll leave aside my concerns for repetitive motion
injuries and the psychological harms being created. And I readily admit that
many players are sincerely having a good time. I do, however, want to provide a
reality check for those families who believe they are providing a competitive
advantage for their kids.
First of all, there are some
children that are “natural athletes,” and for them there is unlikely any “need”
to play one sport all year. In fact many of the college coaches I spoke to
would prefer that their potential recruits had a more diversified experience.
And as far a playing in college goes, the stark reality is that only 2% of high
school athletes receive scholarships, and rarely a full ride. Fewer than 7% of
varsity baseball players make it to the NCAA; for basketball and soccer the
numbers are 3.3 and 5.7 percent respectively.
We will never go back to the
days when high school coaches were kept away from their players in the
off-season, and it seems unlikely that the trend of summer and year round
travel teams for pre-teens and high school players will be reversed. Coaching
travel team families (the parents are part of the bargain) complicates the
dynamics of high school sports, and is one of many changes that coaches must
navigate as they build their program and coach the games. In my next article I
will delve deeper into the art of coaching in this “new age” of
student-athletes, then turn our attention to youth sports and the challenges
faced by parents who volunteer to coach community teams, because regardless of
age, it is a brave new world out there.
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