"They Are Not Your Players. You Are Their Coach."

The heading above is a quote from a series of articles by Doug Abrams titled Who Owns Youth Sports?  The series is posted on Rick Wolff's informative blog, Ask Coach Wolff.  In these articles, Abrams has explored the "adultification" of youth sports and reflects on the days of sandlot ball - back when kids roamed free and there was available land for their use.

Abrams acknowledges that those days are long gone in most metropolitan areas. Adult supervision is here to stay. But he urges youth coaches and leagues to consider implementing the best of both worlds - allow the kids to experience the fun of creating, managing and playing their own games while doing so in a safe environment with adult supervision and expert instruction.

Here are the articles. They are a good read.

Who Owns Youth Sports?  (Part 1)
Who Owns Youth Sports?  (Part 2)
Who Owns Youth Sports?  (Part 3)