About the Author: Jim Roberts is the Physical Education Specialist at Crismon Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona. Jim has taught elementary physical education for the past 24 years. Jim was selected as the 1998 National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
Children under the age of 14 are participating in sports in record numbers. Sport participation is not only big in American culture; it has a big impact on children’s lives. That impact can range from very positive to very negative. Adults are the ones who are primarily responsible for determining that impact.
We continue our look at the “Bill of Rights for Young Athletes.”
Bill of Rights for Young Athletes
1. Right to participate in sports
2. Right to participate at a level suited to their maturity and ability
3. Right to be treated with dignity
4. Right to play as children, not as adults
5. Right to share in decisions regarding their participation
6. Right to have qualified adult leadership
7. Right to participate in safe and healthy environments
8. Right to improve skills and strive for success
9. Right to proper preparation
10. Right to have fun
3. Right to be treated with dignity
Protect and build children’s self-respect.
“Some parents, they get really mad if you do bad and they tell you you should just quit if you’re not going to shape up.”
- Tiffany, age 12
Human dignity knows no age limit. Children want their personal feelings respected just as much as adults do. They wish to be treated with dignity when participating in sports just as much as when they are engaged in other activities. The conduct of some adults, however, indicates that they think children don’t need to be treated with sensitivity and understanding.
Here are just a few examples of how adults can deny children’s dignity:
* By yelling at children when they make mistakes during a contest. “Did you see that goalie? He let that ball go right through him!”
* By intimidating children for showing fear or reporting an injury. “You aren’t hurt. You just twisted your ankle, that’s all. Football players have to be tough. Walk it off.”
* By humiliating children for quitting sports. “What do you mean you want to quit volleyball? I didn’t raise you to be a quitter!”
* By heckling young athletes in hopes of unnerving them. “Hey, batter batter…SWING!”
* By devouring young athletes’ self-respect to feed their own egos. “You kids ought to be ashamed of yourselves for playing like that out there!”
* By cowering youngsters into practicing harder and playing better. “If you’re just out here to have fun, you’re on the wrong team. We’re here to WORK and to WIN.”
Adults should help children build self-respect, not destroy it!
Don’t allow children to humiliate other children.
Adults aren’t the only ones to humiliate children in sports. Often the most devastating
attacks on young athletes come from their peers. Adults who permit children to humiliate
and intimidate teammates or opponents are just as guilty as if they committed the offense.
For example, coaches and teammates sometimes make one child a “chump” who
becomes the brunt of team ridicule and cruel humor. Even though children may
seemingly enjoy the attention they get from this role, they sacrifice self respect for it.
Adults should not permit or force a child to pay such a price.
Discipline children without destroying their dignity.
Certainly at times a parent or coach will need to discipline a child for inappropriate
behavior, but adults can do this without humiliating the child or destroying dignity.
Coaches should consistently apply discipline to the whole team (including star players),
and should keep disciplinary matters between themselves and the child, and not involve
others.
Preserve children’s dignity through sports and help them develop a healthy sense of identity.
When children know that adults place their welfare ahead of winning, they are more
likely to develop a healthy sense of identity and self-esteem. When children sense that
they are valued for who they are rather than for what skills they bring to the team, their
dignity can be preserved no matter how they perform. Adults who succeed at preserving
children’s dignity are placing children first and winning second.
