Expert Discusses Parents' Role in Youth Sports

Of the 26 million children who participate in non-school sanctioned youth sports in the U.S., studies have shown a staggering 70 percent quit by age 13.  And while parents always assume they’re the best ones to teach their children how to be competitive in sports, youth coaching expert Gary Avischious disagrees.

 A noted author on the topic of coaching, Avischious speaks to thousands of instructors and parents each year, from local recreation centers to U.S. Olympic Committee coaches.  He is known as one of the country’s top authorities on coaching education, training and certification.

“Ask anyone involved in running a youth sports organization and they’ll tell you that parents are the number one problem,” says Avischious.  “Many parents have lost sight of what it means for a kid to be successful in sports.  Instead of focusing on skill building, they teach that winning is the most important aspect.”

Avischious will explore these views, among others, at a special Parents’ Role in Youth Sports forum on Wednesday, November 9, at Midtown Athletic Club, 1760 N. Hicks Rd., in Palatine. Avischious will host discussions from 4:00-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-8:00 p.m.  The event is complimentary and the public is invited to attend.

Avischious travels the country presenting forums to coaches and parents on how to utilize play, coaching and behavioral science to optimize kids’ enjoyment of a sport. He is founder of CoachingSchool.org and author of the Tennis Parent Passport, a guide to help children succeed in the game of tennis (and life).   

The Colorado native theorizes that whether intended or not, parents fill their kids with anxieties and self-doubt with negative comments. He says this is the result of the parents’ own embarrassment when their kid strikes out at the plate or drops a game-winning pass.

For more information or to reservations, contact Midtown Athletic Club at (847) 991-4646.