Philosophy of Spectator Management

Kids love to play. Always have and always will. But some things have changed. While
unstructured play has gone by the wayside for many families, competitive sports leagues
have filled the vacuum. It's estimated that 41 million American kids play competitive youth
sports, and the numbers are growing. Soccer alone saw an increase from 15 million in
1987 to 17.5 million in 2002, while Pop Warner Football has doubled in size in the last
fifteen years. Throw in a couple million (2.2 to be exact) little leaguers standing at home
plate annually, and you've got a HUGE parental involvement situation that can be hard to
manage.

Fun, friends, skills, and self esteem

The "Let the Kids Play" philosophy is a simple one that consists of four words:
"Let the kids Play". But, that's really just the tip of the iceberg. It's what's under these
words that is so meaningful - kids that play have fun, make friends, develop skills,
build self-esteem, and learn teamwork and how to deal with adversity. A challenge under
the best of circumstances, it is especially difficult if problematic parental or spectator
behavior is added to the mix. According to a Sports Illustrated study, 3 out of 4 kids
surveyed have seen "out of control" parents at youth sports games.

And an out of control parent means disruption of the game on many levels. It not only ruins
the fun for the kids and induces anxiety instead of self-esteem, but is also a colossal
headache for--and an insult to--the coach who has committed to training the team, and
annoys the silent majority of spectators who behave themselves.

Changing the dynamic

"Let the Kids Play"is a program and philosophy that gives coaches and administrators a
method and context for putting the kids first by managing--if not preventing--the
destructive behavior of overly involved spectators or parents. By getting parents to sign
spectator agreements, along with the prominent placement of field signage, banners,
stickers, and tee shirts all messaging the same idea, a league has the tools needed to create a
strong atmosphere of positive parental peer pressure. "This non-confrontational approach"
says Aldo Quezada, the founder of "Let the Kids Play", "changes the dynamics and
prevents most problems before they occur. Our aim is to make these tools available to as
many leagues as possible."

The "Let the Kids Play" program is a simple, easy to implement and turnkey method for
effectively managing the behavior of spectators. It also helps parents who recognize that
they overreact to keep their negative impulses in check.

For more information on specifics of the program, CLICK HERE.

Sources: CNN, 2006; Sports Illustrated