Unison Parenting Blog: The Downside of Youth Sports

As much as I love youth sports, I've never been able to shake the memory of what led me to leave baseball behind as a middle schooler.

I lost my love for the game due to a verbally abusive coach who played favorites and put enormous pressure on certain players, especially me. I found myself tensing up when trying to make even routine plays. When I made the inevitable mistake, he would pull me off the field immediately and bench me for the rest of the game. It's no surprise that my performance spiraled, and I eventually quit playing baseball. It took years before I would even watch a baseball game again.

In my last blog, I shared the advantages of youth sports. This time, I'll look at the disadvantages.

One of the chief downsides of youth sports is the pressure applied by coaches and parents to perform at a high level. The pressure can cause stress, self-esteem, and a desire to quit.

Particularly in elite sports settings, a coach can attain an outsized position in the family's priorities. The coach is like a capricious king, demanding practices at odd times or at too many times. It can feel like the coach is running your family's life.

Young athletes may also find themselves in a time crunch. Either they or their parents may want to play multiple sports at once during overlapping seasons. But then the kids get overscheduled. They become tired. Their athletic and academic performance may slip.

Youth sports can be expensive, especially if your child makes a traveling team. Aside from equipment cost, a family may pay higher fees, travel expenses, and increasing required expenditures. For lower income families, even paying for the basics of youth sports can be a strain. (An idea: Find used equipment whenever possible).

Then there is the basic stress of losing or not getting to play enough.

When you add it up, it may seem like the problems of youth sports outweigh the benefits. But there is a way forward for parents to manage their child's youth sports participation, which I'll share in my next post.