All Articles by Brooke de Lench

One of the worst by-products of the select (travel) youth sports team system is that it fosters elitism by creating groups of haves and have-nots, especially before sixth grade, when predicting whether an athlete will turn into elite high school or college athlete is almost impossible.

Sports are critical to a boy's social and emotional development.  Many of the ways boys behave - particularly their love of sports and rough and tumble play - are rooted in the distant past. Boys are hard-wired to form large social groups in which to compete against other boys and sort out winners and losers.

As a mother you can have an enormous influence on your daughter's lifelong pursuit of physical fitness or sports. Here are some tips on how to help your daughter develop a love of sports and get the most of her sports experience.

While participation by girls in sports has increased at all levels, Olympic, professional, college and high school, and society is now more accepting than ever of female athleticism, the fact that girls continue to drop out of sports at six times the rate of boys is an indication that we still have a long way to go as a society in reaching the goal of gender equality in sports.

Extensive research shows that physical activity and sport can enhance the mental, psychological and spiritual health of American girls and young women. The bottom line is that while sports are not the magic potion they do help girls get through the trials of adolescence.

When the U.S. Women's soccer team made it to the World Cup final this past summer for the first time since 1999, the spotlight shone brightly on women's sports again, however briefly. It is time to honor and value women in sports, not just for three weeks but all year long.

One of the reasons often cited in favor of early specialization in a single sport is the myth that it increases the chances of athletic success. The fact is that there is no evidence that an athlete who plays one sport before the age of twelve or who participates in a select sports program will end up being a better athlete as a teen or adult and considerable evidence that precisely the opposite is true.

The trend towards early specialization is fueled by  parents looking for an edge, the myth that more and earlier is better, and a belief that it is required for survival in today's hypercompetitive youth sports culture.

Many times a child, especially when one in middle or high school, will only tell a parent of their decision to quit a sports team after they have made it, which is unfortunate because sometimes just the right parental advice might help to sort out the issues and lead to a different decision.

Good sideline behavior by parents sets the right example for your
children. Here are some ways you can demonstrate good sportsmanship on the sidelines at your child's game.