Solid youth sports values are worth promoting

 Perhaps if we crystallized what we try to write about at Taking You Beyond the Game it is this: we aim to  highlight values that ought to be promoted and reflected by all of us involved in youth sports.

Along these lines, many of our original articles appear on sites around not only Canada and the United States, but in many countries around the globe.

 Here are some examples of our articles available on the web:

• 
  The National Alliance for Youth Sports picked up our piece on qualities youth Coaches should strive to instill in their players 

• Our article on Soccer Sideline Etiquette for parents is featured by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

• Helping become better soccer parents was our profile picked up by the Carlsbad Lightning Soccer Club. 

• The importance of youth coaches working together effectively with parents before the new season starts presented by the Annandale Soccer Club. 

• Here is our podcast interview on building confidence in young players with The Ultimate Sports Parent.

We can all learn, whether we are six or sixty.  Attitudes can evolve and change for the better.  We can always do things a bit better when teaching, coaching and setting examples for our young.  There may not be too many “new” ideas in youth sports, but there are some, and we need to explore new approaches and examine and adopt “best practices”.  We need to discuss the best ideas “out there” openly and build on that and spread the word to ensure young people don’t lose their love of sport.

Young players need to have fun, enjoy the experience, but also learn about discipline, sharing, team work and the lessons that can be learned from “winning” and  “losing”.

Parents, schools, coaches, officials, Academies, Districts and Clubs—and young athletes themselves—all have important roles to play in making youth sports a great experience for everyone now and in the future.