Coaches, refs, parents, players need your help

Have you looked into survey sites to host this where you can type the answers into a box - so that they're not posted here?

 

Parents:
1. Do your kids enjoy playing youth sports?
A. My Daughter loves sports.

2. Do you support them?
A. Yes i try to be at every competition she enters.

3. Has your child ever been physically abused from a ref, coach or team mate?
A. Yes.

4. Has your child ever been mentally hurt from a ref, coach or a team mate?
A. She did once get a little upset but nothing to worry about.

5. Have you ever had a conflict with a ref?
A. No.

6. Have you ever had a conflict with a coach?
A. No.

7. Have you ever had a conflict with another parent?
A. No.

8. Are the sports competitive? If yes, how and why?
A. Yes my Daughter as been a member of a boxing and karate club for 9 years now and really strives to be as good as she possibly can, obviously the matches are one on one so it is very competitive.

9. Should youth sports be competitive? How and why?
A. Yes learn to be tough and competitive at an early age and this will stay with you into adulthood.

10. Did you play as a youth? How was it if so?
A. No.

 

It's been a few years but I'll help out. You don't have to use my answers.

Youth Athlete:
1. Why do you play youth sports?
--I'm extremely competitive, it's a way to get a fix.
2. Do you enjoy them?
--Yes, sometimes.. competition/games were fun but practice was grueling
3. Parent(s) or guardian(s) support or force you to play or participate?
--No
4. Would you rather be doing something else?
--At times..
5. Have you ever had a coach mentally abuse you? If yes, how?
--Yeah, she was REALLY tough. I nearly cried several times haha..
6. Have you ever had a coach physically abuse you? If yes, how?
--No.. unless you count doing things over and over again until you can't move.
7. How are your fellow team mates?
--I still keep in touch with ALL OF THEM! They're awesome and we went though a lot together
8. Do you feel your sports are competitive or only for fun? Explain
--Depends on who you ask.. I did it because I'm competitive, I like to win. I was good at it so, I won several awards and that made it fun.
9. Will you continue playing in school?
--I may get back into it when I go back to a University for my Bachelor's Degree
10. Have you learned any important life lessons from playing?
Sweat + Sacrifice = Success

 

Youth Athlete:
1. Why do you play youth sports?
Its tons of fun, and the only way to get the agression out.
2. Do you enjoy them?
Every one of them.
3. Parent(s) or guardian(s) support or force you to play or participate?
Nope it was all me
4. Would you rather be doing something else?
Nope
5. Have you ever had a coach mentally abuse you? If yes, how?
Yes/no. wrestling coach would yell every time i lost so i tried not to do it too often.
6. Have you ever had a coach physically abuse you? If yes, how?
Nope.
7. How are your fellow team mates? Explain
I love the guys, it was the best years of my life.
8. Do you feel your sports are competitive or only for fun? Explain
Both, if its not then why are you playing?
9. Will you continue playing in school?
Nope college is to much work to continue wrestling.
10. Have you learned any important life lessons from playing?
When you think you can go any more and you body is hurting the fun just begins, and you can keep going if your mind is strong enough.

 

Interview Questions

Coach:
1. What is your goal and admirations for your youth athletes?
To see them enjoy playing and succeed

2. Have you ever been physically hurt or harassed by a youth parent?
No

3. Ever witnessed parental abuse on youth athletes?
No

4. What key fundamentals as a coach do you drill into youths for success?
Team work, dedication, heart, drive, effort, and lastly skill

5. Ever had any major conflicts with ref(s)?
No

6. Is your team(s) competitive? If so, how and why?
Yes, high school baseball is more competitive than little league

7. Ever been mentally effected from ref, coach, parent of youth?
No

8. Are youth happy playing or forced?
Happy

9. Do parents give positive support?
For the most part

10. What do you promote to your athletes?
See #4


Youth Athlete:
1. Why do you play youth sports?
I am about the most competitive person I know

2. Do you enjoy them?
Depends on your definition of enjoy. Sports to me became more of a job than for fun at the age of about 14. I enjoy winning and enjoy team atmosphere, but nothing drives me more nuts than lack of effort so I also spent a good amount of time not enjoying playing. If you want a better explanation PM me.

3. Parent(s) or guardian(s) support or force you to play or participate?
Suport

4. Would you rather be doing something else?
No

5. Have you ever had a coach mentally abuse you? If yes, how?
Does swearing and yelling count because for me it wasn't abuse but rather a way to motivate me. (no I don't coach in that manner but I needed it when I played)

6. Have you ever had a coach physically abuse you? If yes, how?
Does a coach intentionally hitting me with pitches in batting practice count? Never really pissed me off since getting hit is part of the game.

7. How are your fellow team mates? Explain
Can't really answer since I've been on many many teams in many different sports but in general teammates are very good.

8. Do you feel your sports are competitive or only for fun? Explain
Competitive. I played hockey at a junior level, and was about the be drafted in baseball before I competely destroyed my shoulder....sports were life.

9. Will you continue playing in school?
I went to University of Arizona to play baseball but my injury forced me out of sports for the most part, but I still DH on a semi-pro baseball team.

10. Have you learned any important life lessons from playing?
Of course, see question #4 from coaches section.


Mark

 

Interview Questions

Coach:
1. What is your goal and admirations for your youth athletes?

Goals for youth sports vary depending upon the level. As a State Coach my goals for my players was to make the State Team and to progress through regional and national pools. For my Club, it was to provide high level competitive training with emphasis on ball skills and speed of play

2. Have you ever been physically hurt or harassed by a youth parent?

I have received threats of legal action for cutting players from State Teams and pools

3. Ever witnessed parental abuse on youth athletes?

Yes

4. What key fundamentals as a coach do you drill into youths for success?

Commitment, passion, and fun. All play focuses on mastery of ball skills in time restricted environments. American kids lag behind the rest of the world in individual ball technique under pressure.

5. Ever had any major conflicts with ref(s)?

No

6. Is your team(s) competitive? If so, how and why?

Yes. State Level and nationally ranked Club

7. Ever been mentally effected from ref, coach, parent of youth?

Not sure of question. Often effected positively by all participants, sometimes negatively effected by same

8. Are youth happy playing or forced?

At the State level, some are very happy, some are victims of their own success, and not entirely happy. At the Club level, most are happy since they are old enough to make up their own mind and choose if they play.

9. Do parents give positive support?

The higher the level, the more involved parents tend to be. Not all is positive.

10. What do you promote to your athletes?

Love of the game, hard work, and commitment to teammates and program


Parents:
1. Do your kids enjoy playing youth sports?

My kids are both in college and still play soccer as scholarship athletes. So, they are no longer participating in "youth" sports, but they are still competing in the sport they excelled in as "youths"

2. Do you support them?

Financially and physically. As a "soccer parent" I never missed a single game by either of my kids in almost 15 years. Not including their college games as they go to school in Georgia and Florida. I attend a couple of games each season, and all play-off games.

3. Has your child ever been physically abused from a ref, coach or team mate?

No

4. Has your child ever been mentally hurt from a ref, coach or a team mate?

Of course. Competitive sports causes mental as well as physical pain.

5. Have you ever had a conflict with a ref?

No

6. Have you ever had a conflict with a coach?

Only with coaches that were unqualified to coach at the level they chose.

7. Have you ever had a conflict with another parent?

Yes. Stupidity exists in every team situation.

8. Are the sports competitive? If yes, how and why?

Very. Highest level available

9. Should youth sports be competitive? How and why?

Depends on the age. Competitive sports are not for children under the age of 12. Competitive sports for children younger than 12 is counter-productive except in the case of the truly gifted. Competitive sports are a wonderful experience if handled properly and the kids are supported, win or lose.

10. Did you play as a youth? How was it if so?

Yes. It was good, of course when I began playing soccer, we kicked human skulls from town to town. LOL!!!!

 

Wanna bet on it?

 

Perhaps, whats the wager?

Mark

 

Youth Athlete:
1. Why do you play youth sports? I play soccer (elite youth level), and i do cross country running in school

2. Do you enjoy them? My greatest passion is my soccer, theres nothing else i'd want to do. Cross country is just something i do when the school runs it

3. Parent(s) or guardian(s) support or force you to play or participate? They are supportive, but they aren't actively involved, they just watch the game on the weekend

4. Would you rather be doing something else? Never

5. Have you ever had a coach mentally abuse you? If yes, how? Yes, if my performance is poor i'll be given a few verbal volleys but part of the whole thing is to take it on board and prove them wrong by playing well.

6. Have you ever had a coach physically abuse you? If yes, how? No

7. How are your fellow team mates? Explain We're all good friends that have a drive to compete, win and enjoy the game, and in a team we bond well and get along, and we play as a team, for eachother. Outside that i suppose outside interest and other friends take over, so we only spend time together in that sense occassionally

8. Do you feel your sports are competitive or only for fun? Explain I play at an elite level, so its competitive and we always want to win, as does the coach and the parents too. Its still fun though and we enjoy it immensely

9. Will you continue playing in school? I'm doing that now in my final year of high school playing 5-6 times a week, and hope to do the same with a college scholarship

10. Have you learned any important life lessons from playing? I wouldn't say they are life changing lessons, but the experiences have been character building and provide some solid foundations to keep you disciplined and focused throughout ones whole life.

 

CHECK YOUR INBOX.

 

Although I am no longer a youth athlete, I used to be, in high school..ran cross country and track.

Youth Athlete:
1. Why do you play youth sports?

I played youth sports because it gave me something to do, I loved the commrodery, and quite frankly, I was good at it.

2. Do you enjoy them?

I definatly enjoyed it, even during the worst of times.

3. Parent(s) or guardian(s) support or force you to play or participate?

My parents were my biggest supporters, never forced me to participate.

4. Would you rather be doing something else?

Nope.

5. Have you ever had a coach mentally abuse you? If yes, how?

Mentally abuse me? I don't believe so. Have I had my coach yell at me, call me out in front of the team when I messed up, be mentally tough? Definatly. It disciplined me. It straightened me out. With all the PC crap these days and everyone having to be nice and your friend, it doesn't work IMHO.

6. Have you ever had a coach physically abuse you? If yes, how?

No.

7. How are your fellow team mates? Explain

They were loyal and they were dedicated. Full support for everyone on the team.

8. Do you feel your sports are competitive or only for fun? Explain

Both. It was very competitive and fun as well.

9. Will you continue playing in school?

I did. I continued through my second year of college.

10. Have you learned any important life lessons from playing?

Several. It helped me prepare for the life ahead of me in ways I don't believe I would've gotten had I not been involved in a sport. It also helped me develop social skills and build my mental toughness.