I’m Not A Felon Nor A Pervert …….

 

Written By Guest Contributor Mr.Voice

I don’t have any kids … I don’t think I’m a track guy… But I am neither a felon nor a pervert…

I have a card that proves I mean your family no harm. I printed it out and signed it myself!

Go ahead and laugh. But I dare you to find any youth sports volunteer who can offer you better evidence that he doesn’t intend to hurt your children or rip off your family. No, there aren’t all that many bad guys in youth sports: One sports administrator crowed that only one percent of his adult members are convicted felons. But that’s not much better than the national incarceration rate for adults.

Along with my “I am not a felon” card I offer as reference our hostess Lorraine Williams, who has held my attention with her hospitality, curiosity, common sense and optimism as I’ve lurked around her site in recent months. TrackMom has become a great friend and confidante as I”ve tried to sort out my thoughts about my involvement with youth track and field.

Thanks to supporters of “Track Mom” for your concern about the future of track and field and its role in the development of “our” kids. Congratulations to the Track Mom community for your interest in “Everything Youth Track and Field.” Literally anything you read in “Track Mom” can make a difference in your child’s performance in a sport measured by blinks of an eye and lengths of an eyelash.

My expereience of youth track has been occasional and somewhat accidental, but I’ve seen some things, both good and bad, that have impressed me deeply. I’ve become aware that this is a critical moment both for American youth sports and for all levels of American track and field. It’s a moment when concerned, informed parents like yourselves can make a difference not only for your kids, but for your neighbors’ kids…and their kids as well.

The mushrooming youth sports “industry” is finally receiving some well-deserved analysis, and I have to admit that I’m sympathetic with the muckrakers. I don’t have an agenda, but I do find myself developing a few themes:

1. Youth sports should be tailored to the needs of kids, not the dreams of adults.

2. Youth sports have rapidly become a highly competitive, lightly regulated market. You are your child’s only protection from businesses that want primarily to exploit your children only for short -term profit. To be a good parent, you must be an informed, vigilant consumer, no less than when you accompany your child down the snack food aisle at the grocery store…

3. Some very dubious characters are operating at every level of youth sports, from lone predators to organized crime syndicates. Be on the lookout for the shady characters, and do everything you can to protect your children from them.

As TrackMom knows all too well, my interest in youth track has recently tilted towards consumerism and governance. I’m proud of her for addressing some unpleasant issues like theAAU Dump of Athlete Records and complex issues like the agenda of USATF chief Doug Logan.

TrackMom has already gotten some important local stories into national circulation, proving to me that blogging is essential to circulating news that falls between the traditional categories of “Business” and “Sports”. or between “Family” and “Olympic sports”. I hope to follow TrackMom’s lead and explore more of these “hard news” topics with you in the weeks to come. And if I make you laugh from time to time, that’s OK too.

Mr.Voice

Thanks for the kind words Mr.Voice, I appreciate your support and input.

Related posts:

1. Youth Motivation
2. 2 Years And Counting….. 560 posts………..Youth Track Rocks
3. Kids Just Want To Have Fun, Parents Too!
4. What Kind Of Sports Parent Are You?
5. Part 2 Common Charactersitics of the Elite Child Athlete (continued)