CHANGE HAS STARTED

I was the head hockey coach at the University of Rochester for 21 years.  I played one game of hockey at Clarkson College before my 7th and 8th concussions, the last two happening in the same week, ended my career.  I have just finished writing a book on youth sports called: Stop the Tsunami in Youth Sports 

              I have been interviewing professional athletes, amateur players, coaches, athletic directors, a professional sport’s agent, and ex players.  At Frozen Shorts we are teaching people about the journey through youth sports, high school, and college, and its long term ramifications on both children and adults. Here is an interview we did with SoccerNation. http://www.soccernation.com/playing-for-fun-cms-3412

            Through my research and data collection, I have found a harmful trend toward one sport year-round participation. Also injuries, both physical and mental, are appearing at an alarming rate to the children playing both one and multiple youth sports year round without proper structured rest. Heck, just getting a good night’s sleep for over eight hours brings immediate benefits to a child. (AND ADULTS)Here is a column that appeared in the Columbus Dispatch. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2012/10/06/single-sport-youth-athletes-sell-themselves-short.html

            Children playing one sport year round have 2-8 times more tendencies to become injured. Obesity has quadrupled over the last twenty years and almost a third of the children born after the year 2000 are headed towards type II diabetes.

             Proper and adequate rest is essential for long term health.  Of all ten-year old children playing youth sports, 70% quit by the age of thirteen.  Diabetes and obesity are on the rise, and I believe they are connected to youth sports and the mantra of winning. 

             I'm a huge believer in choice, but to make a good choice you have to have as many facts as possible.       

            We believe strongly that children should be able to play youth sports for fun. They need balance in their lives not specialization. They are not mini adults or micro professional athletes. They are children and let’s embrace that natural fact and nourish it for the children’s long term best interest.

            At Frozen Shorts we take a very organic approach to youth sports and life. We believe in the journey is more important than the goal. Our talk’s, seminars and workshops stress letting children be children and embrace the fact that as a community we can achieve more together as a group and as individuals if we embrace the process of developing humility, honor, and sharing instead of short term victory.

            The idea that failure is now moved to the forefront of discussions instead of the opportunity to learn from our mistakes has brought negative stress and tension to our children and their lives needlessly. There are good kinds of stress that we believe in that come from fair competition, not lopsided blowouts and meaningless wins.

              My goal is to provide these facts and guidance for youth organizations, coaches, families, and  players so that when they decide on whatever path they take, they will see what is happening now and what may happen in the future if this disturbing trend continues. 

Our Pop Warner video seen here where we have been told this is the first such scrimmage of this kind EVER in the history of Pop Warner football.

 ( Thanks to Dave Spiehler, Chris Parks, Bob Hurrman, and Katie Spring)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCtcxnanUdc&feature=plcp

             In which we encourage a youth sports flag football team to play a practice scrimmage in which the total number of plays increases dramatically when we allow the children to play without interference from coaches or parents. See the testimonials after the scrimmage and watch how much fun the children have playing on their own.

            Too many times we manage our kids to our expectations not their needs. Let them be creative and have fun. That is the optimum time for growth both mental and physical!

            You can buy VJs book, Stop the Tsunami in Youth Sports through VJs website, frozenshorts.com, follow him on twitter @VJJStanley, like him on Face book at frozenshorts, or contact him at vj@frozenshorts.com to book him for your group organization, or team, for his consulting services, speaking engagements, and seminars or just to talk about youth sports.