‘I love Watching You Play’. Why Is It So Important To Simply Say This To Our Children?

This post is based on a TED Talk from John O’Sullivan, who has created the “Changing the Game in Youth Sports” and is a parent and former coach of the Oregon Rush Club.  His presentation encourages to self-reflect on the importance and impact of our words.

‘Did you know that in the USA every year about 40 million children engage youth sports, yet 70% of them drop by the age of 13?’

Just the opening statement in this TED Talk highlights the importance of this post and this topic. 70% of children drop youth sports by the age of 13. I feel the chills every time I repeat that phrase in my mind, because I know that you and I, parents and coaches, we are the main cause for this problem.

We are, I’m sorry if this offends anybody, but it’s true. It’s what we say from the sidelines, what we say on our ride back home, our ‘deconstruction’ of the game at dinner, our demands, our sayings over financial commitments and scholarship opportunities, our opinions over a sports that, with all due respect, not many dominate with proficiency .

I know many will read this post and listen to John and think that our approach is very ‘rec’, very ‘non-competitive’. Nothing farther from reality.

The next 14 minutes might change your whole experience as a soccer dad, mom, or coach. Don’t miss them, they’re worthy and try to always remember that as Professor Simon Sutton Smith said:

“The opposite of play is not work; it is depression.” – Professor Simon Sutton-Smith