It's About the Kids - What are we about??

So...you are a parent with a child in the beginning of his/her "athletic career". Yes, 2nd grade and your child is posed with the question...Does he/she want to play on the "TRAVEL/ELITE" team! Travel/Elite ball in 2nd grade you ask yourself? Yes, travel/elite ball in 2nd grade! And you are faced with the dilemma...You don't think it's appropriate to have your second grader in TRAVEL/ELITE at this age BUT you don't want him/her to miss out of playing with his/her friends.

So...you are a parent of a 5th grader. He/she says..."I'd like to play TWO SPORTS this Fall!" And you are faced with the dilemma...You don't think it's appropriate to have your fifth grader play TWO SPORTS IN ONE SEASON but you don't want him/her to miss out of playing with his/her friends (and a number of her friends play two sports in the Fall)!

Fast forward 10 years...you are a parent of a Senior in high school and you are asking yourself..."what the heck just happened to those 10 years"? Was it (the athletic experience) all worth it?

There are far too many parents and families asking the same question of themselves. Worse yet, there are far too many CHILDREN asking themselves the SAME thing...but (in many cases) MUCH earlier than their Senior year.

No family dinners...No weekends off...No time for extracurricular activities...No time for relaxing...Overbearing parents...Overbearing coaches...Running from the school team practice to the travel team practice...Running from Cross Country to the winter sport tryout...Running from the winter sport tryout to your fall soccer game..."All-Star" teams in Elementary School.

You get the picture! And while much has been written about the craziness of youth sports, not much has been discussed about what I believe is the real reason behind the craziness. SPORTS PROGRAMMING that ALLOWS, ENCOURAGES and ENABLES the behavior to exist in the first place. Sports programing that puts kids and their families in the position of making difficult, unnecessary decisions. Sports programming that only takes into account the DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPORT or the ATHLETIC development of certain level players. Programming that does NOT take into account the physical or psychological development of the individual child (regardless of their athletic achievements or lack thereof). Sport programming that has EXTENDED AND ADDED seasons (i.e. TWO SEASON SPORTS) and created additional ELITE TEAMS (even when elite play is detrimental to the long term physical and psychological development of the child). Sports programming that has added incredible burdens to families and incredible burdens to town facilities and budgets.

It's time for sports programs to operate in THE BEST INTEREST OF THEIR CLIENT...THE KIDS! It is time that we remember that It's ABOUT THE KIDS... Not the adults!!! It is time for the kids to take their programs back. But they can only do it with the ADULTS help.

That is why we have started "It's About the Kids". We seek parents and towns that want to "dial it back". Towns that want to bring their programs (AND THE PROGRAMS THAT OPERATE ON THEIR FIELDS AND COURTS) back to their ORIGINAL PURPOSE. We seek PARENTS who want their families back. Parents who want to see their children develop at a pace that is appropriate and proportionate with their age, regardless of their child's athletic ability.

How can you help!?! Email me at duclos@sentrycommercial.com. We can arrange a time to talk and/or meet to discuss your town, your program's, or your own individual challenges. I can explain how we can guide you back to where it all began...Athletic programming directed to the development of children. Because, no matter how you put it, "It's About the Kids"!!!

(It's About the Kids is a non-profit company dedicated to age appropriate athletic programming of children grades 1-8. Mark Duclos, the founder of "It's About the Kids" is a long time resident of South Windsor CT and a long time coach of girls and boys sports (both non-Elite and Elite play). Mr. Duclos has dedicated his life to the physical and psychological development of children through athletic competition).