Out of Control Youth Sports: Helping Families to find a Leisure Balance

Youth sports have become fraught with problems. A recent youth sports study indicated that injuries to children are on the rise, the economic pressure on families has increased, and problems associated with adult and parent behavior to include even criminal behavior have been reported (Riepenhoff, 2010). The Center for Kids First in Sports reported that instances of parental rage and misconduct are well documented and have become commonplace in youth sports activities. Further, the time demands of youth sports have significantly increased. Family time has become a commodity that has to be penciled into schedule books and deliberately planned (Bianchi, 2007; Shellenbarger, 2002). This qualitative study involved interviews with parents and leisure professionals to elucidate the issue of youth sports and finding time balance for the family unit. One parent said, “Our family has had to be deliberate with our planning for our child’s sports. Last year we were seemingly always on the run going from this practice to that game, and all of this running was during the school year. Grades suffered but so did our family; we just didn’t have time for the important things. You could tell it took a toll on (our child).” Recommendations to create better leisure balance include limiting youth sports practices and games, reducing the length of the season, creating after-school intramural programs, and protecting time for family dinners given a University of Michigan study that indicated family meal time was the most significant predictor of school performance and reducing behavioral problems