This month I'd like to discuss the role youth sports can play in reinforcing core values in the young athlete. Morality is a term we could use in discussing character education in youth sports. We could limit its meaning, have it refer only to fair play, sportsmanship, character, and thus be on safe grounds. But I prefer to use as I have in past articles when discussing character education, the term core values. Parents support their children from the sideline, offer only encouragement, realize the game is their children's to play.
Coaches leave their egos at home.
Winning is not used by them to define their competence. Coaches reinforce good behavior by awarding it, emphasizing the positive rather than drawing attention to negative conduct. Coaches help young players develop skills for handling game related or social situations. Youth athletes should be taught, again by coaches and parents, that the rules which govern sport are no different than in life-if a boy or girl wouldn't cheat in school or steal, they shouldn't intentionally violate the rules of a game in order to gain advantage over an opponent. In general, youth players must have coaches who believe in the core values of fair play and sportsmanship, and who will discuss the difficult ethical situations and choices presented in games and practices.