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• Chelsea Hedquist reports

Grown-Ups Could be Hurting Their Chidren's Fun

Overly aggressive parents and coaches could hurt their child's enthusiasm for the games they play.

September 26th, 2006 @ 8:15am

Chelsea Hedquist reporting

It seems kids' sports these days are getting a little too comeptetive, at least for the parents in the stands. Too often we bring you stories of coaches and parents taking things too far. For kids, sports are supposed to be all about having fun, right? Tell that to a growing number of coaches and parents who seem to take the game a little too seriously.

"I mean, you can just see it in the child. He's disappointed in himself because he missed a play or missed a tackle or didn't execute on offense," said Ute Football Conference League Murray District president Mike Adams. "And you know, the parent just gets ballistic and really gets mad and chews him out. And there's no need for that."

Adams said scenes like the one he described are becomoing much more common as youth sports leagues get more competetive and parents become increasingly eager to see their children play sports at the highest levels.

"It's easy to point the finger at bad parents or the dramatic cases. But there is something inherent in the nature of competition that can bring out our worst," said Steve Durant, co-director of sports psychology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

And when the ugly side of coaches or parents comes out, playing sports just isn't fun for kids anymore. Scott Harward is executive director of Utah Youth Soccer. "Kids gets really disgusted with their own parents and coaches and quit," he said.

And that's the last thing parents want for their child, especially because Durrant says there are huge benefits to kids who play sports through adolescence. "Less use of drugs and alcohol, less use of cocaine, less depressed, less risk of suicide, better diet," he said.

So it's vital to make sure that sports stay fun, and that means finding a healthy balance between working hard to win. But Adams says it's just as important to teach your kids to play for love of the game. "You want your kids to perform and execute and so forth as a coach. At the same time, it's all about the kids," he said.

It might be a good idea if more coaches and parents reminded themselves of that simple fact.