Maintaining a Positive Sports Culture

The majority of our experiences as fans at youth sports events are favorable and enjoyable. However, we too often witness negative behavior by adults in the youth sports arena; conduct on the part of fellow fans, parents/caregivers, and coaches that taint our experience and threaten a positive youth sports experience for our athletes.

What can we do as parents/caregivers, coaches, or program administrators, to maintain a positive culture in youth sports, one that creates an environment where young athletes can experience all of the benefits that sports has to offer? To start, there are two important steps:

1. Be Proactive – Recognize that a positive culture doesn’t just happen. Stakeholders, especially in leadership positions, must collectively decide what type of environment is most suitable to meet the over-riding goals of the, league, program and community. Ask and thoroughly answer the question, “What do we want our program to stand for?”
2. Spread the Word – Once the elements of the desired culture have been determined, it is imperative that it be communicated clearly to all members of the community. This communication should take many forms; mission statements, training programs offered for coaches and parents/caregivers, codes of conduct, buttons, banners, flyers, etc. Because culture is often intangible, it’s important to have, and to widely distribute cultural artifacts as proof of its existence.