New Study: Kids aren't the only ones benefitting from youth sports

MAN BITES DOG, NOW THAT'S NEWS!!!
http://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%201/volume1_01.htm


This is great news and doesn't fit the mantra the stories we see in the news--the man bites dog type of story scraped from the bottom 0.01% of the barrel--but it is what I see on a daily basis.

FROM HUMANKINETICS.COM
http://www.humankinetics.com/hk-news/hk-news/kids-arent-the-only-ones-benefitting-from-youth-sports

New study in Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology proves parents also benefit.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Parents who sign their children up for sports as part of an educational experience and to learn about teamwork may be learning some of the same lessons themselves, according to new research from Purdue University.

"People often think about how youth sport benefits children because of physical activity, self-confidence and friendships, but we found that parents also are affected when their children play organized team sports," said Travis Dorsch, a doctoral student in health and kinesiology who led the study.

While children are making friends and learning to work well in groups, parents are practicing the same behaviors in the stands and on the sidelines. Spousal communication also improved as adults coordinated logistics for carpooling and attending practices and games, whereas other parents noted improving their time management skills. Some parents reported maintaining friendships after their children finished with sports, and others talked about how they experienced an emotional loss when they were finished being a sports parent and no longer had those opportunities for adult "playdates.

This type of reciprocal benefit is also good reason for continuing to fight to keep strong physical education programs in the schools at all levels as well as strong extra-curricular programs.

More from the study:

"I don’t think it’s terribly surprising that parents connect with one another, but what was surprising is the intensity of that connection," said Alan Smith, associate professor of health and kinesiology. "Many view themselves differently, as well as their children differently, after exposure to youth sports. This experience was very eye-opening for them whether or not they themselves were previously involved in sports."

Dorsch and Smith, along with Meghan McDonough, an assistant professor of health and kinesiology, looked at how parents perceive that they change from a child’s participation in team sports. Their results are published in this month’s Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

In 2006 more than 57 million children under the age of 18 participated in organized sport programs, according to the National Coaching Report.

"Sports act as a platform for the child-parent relationship, and many parents said sports gave them and their children something to talk about," McDonough said. "What we learned from these parents shows that many do not fit the negative stereotype of being overinvolved or acting out."

At the same time, other parents were frustrated when a child did not make a competitive travel team after time, money and emotional energy had been invested in the child’s sport experience over many years. Others admitted they felt guilty for wishing a team would stop winning so the season would end.

The researchers interviewed 26 parents of children, ages 6-15, who were playing organized basketball, baseball, softball or soccer. This research was supported by the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Sources: Travis Dorsch, 765-496-2231, dorsch@purdue.edu

Alan Smith, 765-496-6002, alsmith7@purdue.edu

Meghan McDonough, 765-496-9483, mcdonough@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

It's clear from the results of this study that we are in fact getting a "hidden" double bang for every buck spent in this area. We may be raising better parents while we are attempting to raise better children. HOW ABOUT THAT!!!

We can't continue to be penny-wise and pound foolish in this regard. Public school administrators need to learn to cut the bureaucratic waste from other areas of the budget that do not return this type of societal benefit.