NFL-Funded Program to Educate Parents About Sportsmanship

NC State University News ServicesCampus Box 7504Raleigh, NC 27695-7504919/515-3470[email protected]www.ncsu.edu/news.html

NEWS RELEASE

Media Contacts: Dr. Michael Kanters, 919/515-8792 or [email protected]Kevin Potter, 919/515-3470 or [email protected]

June 13, 2001

New NFL-Funded Program to Educate Parents About Sportsmanship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An alarming American trend is often depicted on the evening news: Parents of young athletes being verbally abusive or even violent during their children's sporting events.

With funding from the National Football League and support from the National Recreation and Park Association, North Carolina State University is helping to develop an educational program aiming to prevent such inappropriate behavior and ensure children have positive sports experiences.

Dr. Michael Kanters, director of the new Youth Sport Parent Education Program, explains that the vast majority of millions of children participating in sports activities drop out by the time they're 13 years old. Research indicates that behavior by parents has a direct and significant effect on both children's self-esteem and their decision to stay in sports.

"Clearly the actions of many parents indicates a growing problem," said Kanters, an NC State assistant professor of parks, tourism and recreation management. "A parent education program has the potential to both minimize the negative impact of inappropriate parent involvement, and teach parents how to help their children get the most out of their sport experiences."

The program will develop, test and implement a curriculum that can be used across the nation to educate parents of children ages 6-12 about how to effectively facilitate their children's sports experiences. Beginning in January 2002, parks and recreation agencies nationwide will be able to offer the program, which will be administered by the National Recreation and Park Association in partnership with the NFL.

"The NFL's involvement in this program supports their vision of establishing a collaborative approach to improving youth sports at the grassroots level," Kanters said. "A positive youth sport experience will ultimately impact a child's decision to stay involved in sports."

Kanters notes that youth athletics experiences can positively impact children's lives by improving their self-esteem, their perceptions of their physical abilities, their interpersonal skills with peers and adults, their stress-coping skills, and their attitudes toward the value of physical activity.

The program's organizers are sponsoring a national summit of education and parks professionals June 15-16 in Raleigh to determine the specific components of the program. At the summit, they will gather input from youth sport experts and the administrators of youth sport programs about the components necessary for an effective curriculum.

After the curriculum is developed, 10 public parks and recreation agencies in four states -- North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Missouri -- will pilot test it this fall with parents who register their children for a youth sport program.

The pilot tests for the Youth Sport Parent Education Program will take place at public park and recreation agencies in Raleigh, Burlington, New Bern, Wake Forest, Edenton, Cumberland County and Jackson County, N.C.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Montgomery County, Md.; and Springfield, Mo.

- potter -