Gordon Miller
January 17th, 2008

Potomac Soccerwire

Reprinted with permission by VYSA Touchline

Some parents believe that their child must play on a winning team in division 1, all the time, to guarantee automatic success in later years. It does not. They believe that if their coach isn’t winning the overwhelming majority of games, they need to move their child to a “successful” program with a “winning” coach. Some feel that even if their child isn’t getting quality playing time, being on a winning team is what is really important. These parents are doing a great disservice to their children.

There are more than enough studies that point to the fact that the No. 1 reason why kids drop out of youth sports is there was too much pressure to win. Winning and pressure are not necessarily bad things, as they force players to compete, battle and develop a fighting spirit. These are all important ingredients that are necessary for success. However, the long-term development of the child is what’s important here. And, if the emphasis on winning takes priority, then player growth takes a back seat. The pressure to get a result should be layered in over time and incorporated into a positive training and game environment in order to be fully maximized.