72
NOVEMBER 2012
WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM
ALL STAR
DYING TO PLAY
B
RIAN
SANDERS
Aspirations can become dangerous when mis-
directed. This is true of parents when they try
living vicariously through their children.
“
Competition is natural and healthy” - says
Brian Sanders, President and Chief Operating
Officer of i9 Sports; a youth sports franchise
company, “but unbridled parental pressure
can lead to both physical and psychological
injury to children.”
In entertainment, one of the two big-
gest areas where parents push their children
to be ‘more’ than they can be is on stage and
out on the field. The number one pick in the
draft, million dollar contracts, endorsements…
it’s appealing. “While the fame and fortune of
being a professional athlete can be an exciting
dream for a young kid, a recent study by the
NCAA reflects the unfortunate reality that .1%
of high school athletes will attain a profession-
al career in sports. Parents who view their
child’s sports performance as a golden ticket
to their future have bought into a myth and
are misguided.”
There are more stars in the eyes of the
parents, particularly dads who tend to become
mini-managers for their kids, than the child
who really just wants to play the game. “We
believe that the prevailing hyper level of com-
petition in sports today is greatly driven by
dads who are living vicariously through their
kids. In many respects, youth sports have be-
come adult sports played by kids” - states Bri-
an. “The number one reason kids play sports
is to have fun yet they are often facing paren-
tal pressure to perform or compete at a level
that is not age appropriate.”
Emotional and physical damage are
downplayed. Parents do recognize the pres-
sure to win at all costs is negatively affecting
their children. However, it is overshadowed by
the glitz and glamour. Community praise is
much more valued than broken arms, dislocat-
ed shoulders, and even concussions according
to a survey conducted by i9 Sports. “The star-
tling results of this survey show even though
concussion awareness is growing within youth
sports today, many dads who suffered concus-
sions themselves in their younger years, brush
off the risks of concussions and encourage
their sons to play tackle football at a young
age” - states Brian. “Studies show a concus-
sion can be more dangerous for young ath-
letes because their brains are still developing.
Concussions should not be viewed as a rite of
passage or ‘cool status symbol,’ which is why
we have made concussion safety a top priority
at i9 Sports.”
Concussion–related lawsuits against
the NFL by retired and current contract play-
ers have grown. In recent headlines, there has
been a trend in head injury related suicides
among retired NFL players. It is a tragic sign
of what can happen over time. At times, a
parents judgment can be overpowered by the
urge to win. Safety and long-term health
should be a priority because no one should be
dying to play. “The best way to prevent young
players from being hurt by misguided pressure
to perform in sports is to tap into the key rea-
son kids play sports to begin with... Which is
to have fun” - says Brian. “At i9 Sports we re-
quire every parent and every coach to sign a
pledge acknowledging that the most important
outcome of any game is for the child to have
fun. We were the first national youth sports
organization to do so and it has made an im-
mense difference in establishing a supportive
culture at our games.” -
Tonisha L. Johnson
Brian Sanders
President and COO
WWW.I9SPORTS.COM
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