``Honoring the Game'' Video and Guidelines Launch Campaign to Transform Youth Sports.

Sports Editors

STANFORD, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--Jan. 22, 2002

With the death of one hockey dad at the hands of another, we've seen the worst of youth sports. Now a Stanford-based organization is leading an effort to transform youth sports so we can see the best that youth sports has to offer.

A new video, entitled Honoring the Game: A Vision of a Positive Youth Sports Culture, was released today by Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), based at Stanford University's Athletic Department. PCA has also issued a set of guidelines with specific actions that parents, coaches, players and youth sports leaders can take -- to make the vision in the video come to life and prevent trouble before it starts.

"The Honoring the Game video is an inspiring look at how rewarding the youth sports experience can be for kids -- when coaches, parents and league leaders all Honor the Game," said Jim Thompson, founder of PCA. "Our goal is for every young athlete to have an experience of joy in sports that will last a lifetime."

The nine-minute video, narrated by nationally renowned sports announcer Ted Robinson, brings to life a vision statement developed by a coalition of 50 youth sports leaders that first met at Stanford in March 2000. This coalition, co-sponsored by PCA and the Mendelson Center for Sport, Character and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, is called the "Against the Grain" Forum and will reconvene at Stanford on March 13-14, 2002.

As part of this year's "Against the Grain" Forum, Positive Coaching Alliance will announce the winners of its first national coaches award. Six to eight awards will be presented to coaches and youth sports organizations whose programs strive to win but also use sports to teach life lessons.

"Many people think that adult misbehavior in youth sports is like the weather," said Thompson. "You can complain about it but you can't do anything about it. Working with hundreds of youth sports organizations around the United States, we know you can change youth sports, and we've developed many practical tools, like these guidelines, that can be used at the local level."

The first meeting of the "Against the Grain" Forum in March 2000 was attended by Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who was the keynote speaker; University of Notre Dame football coach Tyrone Willingham; and a veritable "who's who" in youth sports.

"The compelling vision statement that emerged from that initial meeting is a much needed tool," said Thompson, "but it isn't enough. On March 13-14 our agenda is to develop an action plan to turn the vision into a reality."

"Showing the Honoring the Game video to parents and coaches at the beginning of the season is a great way to set a positive tone for the year," said Thompson. "The video includes discussion starter questions that any coach or league leader can use to create a teachable moment for parents in an effort to prevent the kind of 'sideline rage' that has erupted in the last few years."

The complete vision statement and "Honoring the Game" guidelines are available on PCA's web site, www.positivecoach.org.