There Are a Few Psychological Risks for Kids In Youth Sports
By Ken Reed
We have written extensively in the past about the importance of our children being physically active. That is especially true given that the Covid pandemic has resulted in our kids leading increasingly sedentary lives.
The physical benefits of sports participation and other physical activities can’t be overstated. Our young people need more exercise, especially cardiovascular-based exercise.
That said, there are some potential psychological dangers lurking for kids in youth sports environments. Here are a few psychological risks to look for as a parent or coach:
• Dehumanizing Coaching — It’s important to make sure your son or daughter has a coach that prioritizes holistic development and fun over winning at all costs. There aren’t as many Vince Lomboardi-type, kick-them-in-the-butt youth coaches as there were 10 or 20 years ago but they are still out there. One season with a tyrannical coach could lead to your child dropping out of organized youth sports for good. Talk to other parents about particular coaches and go to early practices. If you see a coach humiliating the young players on the team, get your kid out fast.
• Overbearing Parents — Don’t be that parent! Too many parents have their egos invested in their child’s athletic performance. Over-the-top parents scream at their kids for on-field/on-court mistakes. They spend the ride home from games critiquing their kid’s performance. Remember, the number one reason kids cite for quitting organized sports is adults (parents and coaches) that make playing sports no fun. These are kids, not pro athletes. Also, according to the National Alliance for Youth Sports, approximately 15% of youth sports games involve a confrontation between parents, between parents and officials, between parents and coaches, or between coaches and officials. Kids hate witnessing these “adult” confrontations.
• Showcase Tournaments and Travel Leagues — Too many parents want their kids to get athletic scholarships for college, or even to eventually play pro ball. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself. But it’s critical to keep that hope in perspective. The NCAA estimates that only 3/100ths of one percent of male high school basketball players and 9/100ths of one percent of high school football players will play their sport professionally. The figures are even bleaker for girls. For example, only 2/100ths of one percent of all high school female basketball players will play pro ball. Moreover, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only about one percent of 8th graders will end up receiving some financial aid to play NCAA Div. I athletics. That includes partial scholarships. The percentage receiving full athletic scholarships is even smaller.
So, when it comes to youth sports, let’s all relax, and more importantly, let our kids relax.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans

Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #27 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Kids’ Sports: How We Can Take Back the Game and Restore Quality Family Time In the Process – Linda Flanagan is author of “Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids’ Sports and Why It Matters.” We discuss how commercialized and professionalized youth sports are hurting kids and their families. Linda writes extensively about how youth sports can hijack families, and family outings, non-sports activities and bonding time are lost in the pursuit of the next club team game or travel tournament.
Listen on Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Anchor and others.
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More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
Episode #26 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: How Can We Fix Youth Sports? – John O’Sullivan is Founder and CEO of Changing the Game Project and author of “Changing the Game: The Parents Guide to Raising Happy, High Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to Our Kids.”
Episode #25 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Physical Education Should Be a Critical Component of K-12 School Design – Michael Horn is co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.
Episode #24 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Mental Health and Athletes: Ending the Stigma – Nathan Braaten and Taylor Ricci are the founders of Dam Worth It, a non-profit created to end the stigma around mental health at colleges and universities through sport, storytelling, and community creation.
Episode #23 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Olympian Benita Fitzgerald Mosley Talks Title IX, Youth Sports and the Olympics.
Episode #22 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Rethinking Sports Fandom with Author Craig Calcaterra – We discuss Calcaterra’s new book “Rethinking Fandom: How to Beat the Sports-Industrial Complex at Its Own Game” and explore new ways to be a fan.
Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- League of Fans Sports Policy Director Ken Reed quoted in Washington Post column titled "What happened to P.E.? It’s losing ground in our push for academic improvement," by Jay Mathews
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
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