Kids are not professionals!
In a sports program, even at young ages, children inherit responsibilities. But they also have rights.
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education Program has developed a "Bill of Rights for Young Athletes."
1. Right to participate in sports
2. Right to participate at a level commensurate with each child's maturity and ability
3. Right to have qualified adult leadership
4. Right to play as a child and not as an adult
5. Right to share in the leadership and decision-making of sport participation
6. Right to participate in safe and healthy environments
7. Right to proper preparation for participation in sports
8. Right to an equal opportunity to strive for success
9. Right to be treated with dignity
10. Right to have fun in sports
Development vs Professional Sports Model
It's important to remember that the major goals of professional sports are directly related to their status in the entertainment industry.
The professional's job is to win; the ones that don't often join the ranks of the unemployed rather quickly.
The developmental model of sport has a very different focus. The quality of the experience, from the athlete's perspective, is the metric. Not from the perspective of the coach or parents.
Sport participation is an educational process whereby children and adolescents can learn to cope with realities they're likely to face later in life. While winning, and the effort to succeed are often part of the goal, winning should not be the primary goal.
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Also in the development model, dealing with adversity can come in the form of properly handling a bad call from referees or umpires or struggling against a superior competitor.
