All Articles by Brooke de Lench

Abuse in youth sports takes four basic forms: physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. Unfortunately, all forms of abuse are common and the damage from the most common form of abuse (emotional abuse) is no less real than the damage resulting from other forms of abuse.

Studies have shown that among the many effects of physical abuse are depression, anxiety, cognitive and learning difficulties, even a lowering of IQ (especially verbal IQ), disordered sleep, flashbacks, loss of empathy, aggressive behavior, chronically high stress levels which can lead to chronic health effects such as high blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and inability to maintain relationships.

Does your child's middle school have a no-cut policy or does it limit the number of children who get a chance to participate in interscholastic sports? What are the reasons for cutting kids who want to play sports from teams up to high school sub-varsity? Are there reasons why cutting is a bad idea? The founder of MomsTeam, Brooke de Lench, explains why she fought for a no-cut policy at her sons' middle school.

Several years ago, my triplet sons tried out for the travel soccer club in our town. Two of my sons were wait-listed for no apparent reason, along with over sixty other boys who had previously been in the program.

The practice of cutting athletes from middle or high school teams, while it has existed for at least fifty years, is arguably the most controversial practice in youth sports. While the arguments proponents advance in favor of cutting are well-known, the practice is outmoded and needs to be re-examined in light of twenty-first century realities.

Because one of the keys to keeping athletes safe when it comes to concussion is education, a concussion education and safety meeting should be held for parents and athletes should be held before every season. Ideally, the meeting should include presentations by medical doctors, former athletes, and parents of concussed current or former athletes.

With pre-season practices beginning around the country for fall sports such as football and soccer which have high concussion rates, it is important for parents and athletes to be on the same page as the coaches and medical staff on the subject of concussions. The best way is for the coach to hold a concussion education and safety meeting for parents and athletes before every season.

Children are particularly vulnerable to adverse health effects of vehicular air pollution.

The consensus of medical experts is that playing fields should not be located any closer than 500 feet and ideally 1,000 feet from busy roads.

Before your community decides to build new playing fields near a busy highway, it should consider whether children's health could be harmed.