Gaining a Different Perspective on Youth Sports with Age

Growing up, I always played youth sports. So did my sisters, who are both older than I. My mother was a super “soccer mom” which I put in parenthesis because neither my two sisters nor I played soccer. However, we were rushed to practices and games eight days a week.

My poor mother would always say that she would put over 30,000 miles a year on her car without leaving Framingham, where we grew up. I don’t doubt it either, as she typically had to go to two or three practices a few days a week, all across town.

My family was lucky enough to have one parent work while the other could stay at home. However, as our economy struggles to rebound, parents are faced with difficult decisions as to their work schedule, and unfortunately making it to week day practices and games become more and more difficult.

I’ve even coached baseball teams that wouldn’t play kids (13-year-olds, in this situation) if the kids didn’t make it to practice. To me, it made sense. If I kid couldn’t be bothered to be at practice, then he obviously couldn’t be bothered to play the game.

Now, as I work full time, with a fiancée who works full time, and a toddler in the house, I can see the problems with making it to weekday practice two or three times a week at 5:30! Sometimes, life gets in the way of youth sports leagues, and it’s time we address the problems so kids aren’t punished.

That is what happens. The kids are punished for the parents working. And the funny part is, a parent pays for the league and gets LESS of the league (and therefore, loses money) because they have to work during the week and sometimes can’t make a practice!

It’s ironic that we punish the kids and the parents for working. Back when I was 24, single and coaching 13-year-olds, I couldn’t understand how a kid couldn’t make it to practice. After all, youth sports were all that matters! Now, my perception on everything has changed a bit.

I’m beginning to understand that youth sports is a crucial part of a child’s development, but with different families being in different financial situations, the playing field has to be level. Kids shouldn’t lose out on playing time because their parents can’t get to a weekday practice. It’s counterproductive, and the long of the short of it is, it costs the parents money.

I urge all coaches to think about each family as they access their youth sports league. Penalizing a kid for having two hard working parents doesn’t make sense, and should be avoided at all costs.

Matt Elder owns and operates i9 Sports, a youth sports league in Marlborough. Their flag football and cheerleading program is taking registrations for its spring season, and plays every Sunday afternoon, where they have a practice and a game all in the same day. No weekday practices. Visit www.i9sports.com today for more details.