What Role for Middle School Sports?Safe and developmentally appropriate play may be difficult to achieve when schools move into the interscholstic arena As school district leaders in Hillsborough County Hillsborough County is the name of two counties in the United States:
These advocates passionately support comprehensive, highly competitive interscholastic in·ter·scho·las·tic adj. Existing or conducted between or among schools. in  ter·scho·las sports programs for young adolescents while rationalizing and dismissing the problems typically associated with such programs for youngsters who are 10 to 14 years old. On the other hand, proponents for modifying middle-level sports want to make them safer and more developmentally responsive to the needs and interests of young adolescents-even when that means eliminating competition among schools. This situation sets up a crucial and difficult decision for administrators and their governing boards Noun 1. governing board - a board that manages the affairs of an institution board - a committee having supervisory powers; "the board has seven members" . Ongoing Debates The proper role of interscholastic sports for young adolescents has been an intensely debated topic for several decades, and it remains as emotional an issue today as ever. During the past year, an organized parent group has been pressing a reluctant school board in Paradise Valley, a Phoenix suburb, to restore the middle school sports program it dropped two years ago in favor of intramural intramural /in·tra·mu·ral/ (-mu´r'l) within the wall of an organ. in·tra·mu·ral adj. Occurring or situated within the walls of a cavity or organ. competition that includes instruction by high school coaches. In St. Johns County, Fla., the school board last year approved a limited interscholastic program for its five middle schools in a 3-2 vote. So far, the competition is restricted to basketball and volleyball because of the limited capital outlay capital outlay See capital expenditure. for equipment. Meanwhile, in Tampa, Fla., the board rejected a community task force proposal last year to revive interscholastic competition at middle schools but approved a more limited recommendation in May. The latter measure restores competitive play in soccer, volleyball, basketball and track but only if the annual cost of $186,000 could be raised privately. Thanks primarily to a single donor, the funding goal was met. Widespread Competition This is not a middle school issue. The real issue is what school-sponsored competitive interscholastic sports programs, if any, should be available to young adolescents no matter what the names or grade organizations of the schools they attend. The interscholastic sports debate is associated routinely with middle schools, however, since the establishment of new middle schools often is accompanied by careful study of what programs and practices best serve young adolescents. This study reveals the serious dangers associated with interscholastic sports programs for 10- to 14-year-olds and builds an awareness of other problems common in middle-level interscholastic athletics. With the exception of a relatively small number of districts, equal percentages of middle and junior high schools have maintained competitive sports programs for many years. Several national studies, including one we conducted in 1993, have revealed that approximately 80 to 90 percent of all middle schools have some interscholastic sports programs. The real question, then, is how can administrators at the school and district levels make their interscholastic athletics programs as safe and developmentally appropriate as possible? Common Problems A prerequisite to administering middle-level sports programs effectively is to be keenly aware of the problems associated with them. The five problems most frequently identified include: (1) the predisposition predisposition /pre·dis·po·si·tion/ (-dis-po-zish´un) a latent susceptibility to disease that may be activated under certain conditions. pre·dis·po·si·tion n. 1. of young adolescents to physical injury, (2) the question of psychological readiness, (3) the high attrition rates Noun 1. attrition rate - the rate of shrinkage in size or number rate of attrition rate - a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit; "they traveled at a rate of 55 miles per hour"; "the rate of change was faster than expected" , (4) the question of proper coaching and (5) issues of liability. The most dangerous time for youth to participate in organized sports is between ages 10 and 14, the middle school years. As documented by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other agencies, significant numbers of debilitating de·bil·i·tat·ing adj. Causing a loss of strength or energy. Debilitating Weakening, or reducing the strength of. Mentioned in: Stress Reduction injuries and deaths occur every year for this age group. Sports injuries Sports Injuries Definition Sports injuries result from acute trauma or repetitive stress associated with athletic activities. Sports injuries can affect bones or soft tissue (ligaments, muscles, tendons). sustained by children and young adolescents have increased substantially in recent years with the highest injury rates being for those playing football (an increase of 50,000 injuries in a four-year period). Football, however, is not the only sport that poses risks for children and young adolescents. Soccer, considered by many to be a relatively "safe sport," is not as safe as once thought. For example, during 1993 alone, 38 percent (56,621) of soccer injuries occurred to young adolescents between the ages of 10 and 14 and three fatalities were reported for this age group as a result of playing soccer. During this same year, of the 460,000 baseball-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms, 28 percent (119,280) were to young adolescents between the ages of 10 to 14 year olds. Other sports such as wrestling, gymnastics gymnastics, exercises for the balanced development of the body (see also aerobics), or the competitive sport derived from these exercises. Although the ancient Greeks (who invented the building called a gymnasium , baseball and basketball are among those where the largest number of injuries to young adolescents occurs. Injuries that result directly from contact during games are not the only ones that pose problems for young adolescents. Overuse injuries overuse injury Sports medicine A sports- or occupation-related injury that involve repetitive submaximal loading of a particular musculoskeletal unit, resulting in changes due to fatigue of tendons or inflammation of surrounding tissues; OIs include tennis elbow , which are the result of repetitive microtramas (repeated small injuries), are also a serious problem. These injuries are frequently the result of young athletes engaging in repetitive activities for which their muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones are unprepared to withstand for long or intense periods of time. These kinds of injuries -- stress fractures stress fracture n. A fatigue fracture of bone caused by repeated application of a heavy load, such as the constant pounding on a surface by runners, gymnasts, and dancers. , arthritis, tendinitis tendinitis or tendonitis Inflammation of a tendon sheath, due to irritation of this thin, filmy tissue by overuse of the tendons, which slide within them, or to bacterial infection. , shin splints Shin Splints Definition Shin splints refer to the sharp pains that occur down the front of the lower leg. They are a common complaint, particularly among runners and other athletes. -- are intensified by factors such as overtraining overtraining training horses or dogs too hard so that they lose spirit. overtraining Sports medicine A general term for any practice of, or training for, a particular sport which is in excess of that necessary to participate in the sport , which , long playing seasons, and specialty sports camps. Damage caused by these injuries is often painful, permanent and can lead to problems in later life. Coaches and others who determine the nature of interscholastic sports programs for young adolescents need to be knowledgeable about these kinds of injuries and must take steps to minimize the possibility of their occurrence. These injuries do not all occur in school-sponsored sports programs. However, the limited research results that are available reveal that the injury rates for in-school and out-of-school sports programs are approximately the same. For these and related reasons, careful steps should be taken to protect young adolescents from participating in unsafe interscholastic programs. Interscholastic sports frequently are credited with promoting socialization socialization /so·cial·iza·tion/ (so?shal-i-za´shun) the process by which society integrates the individual and the individual learns to behave in socially acceptable ways. so·cial·i·za·tion n. skills, building character, enhancing personality development and "preparing participants for adult life." However, little actually is known about the long-term psychological effects on participants. For example, sports psychologists, among others, question the readiness of children and young adolescents to cope successfully with the powerful pressures of experiencing instant successes and failures, in very public ways, during sports events. Others argue that involving young adolescents in highly competitive sports before they are psychologically ready often eliminates the enjoyment of sports because of the regimented practices and pressures to win at all costs. Also, the practice of cutting team rosters in most sports programs has negative effects on young adolescents. Steps should be taken to ensure, to the extent possible, that interscholastic sports programs are organized in ways that take the psychological characteristics of the age group into consideration. Coaching Quality Even if competitive sports programs offer positive opportunities for young adolescents, only a small percentage of them are able to benefit. This is because the inappropriate nature of such programs, in combination with other factors, has resulted in high "burnout Burnout Depletion of a tax shelter's benefits. In the context of mortgage backed securities it refers to the percentage of the pool that has prepaid their mortgage. ," or attrition Attrition The reduction in staff and employees in a company through normal means, such as retirement and resignation. This is natural in any business and industry. Notes: , rates. The majority of youngsters now quit organized sports by age 15. Chief among the reasons they cite are "not having fun" and dissatisfaction over the ways practices are conducted. The level of success attained in interscholastic athletics relies heavily on the actions of the coaches who have the daily responsibility for sports programs. They make the majority of decisions that determine the quality and safety of middle-level programs. As a result, coaches with no specialized preparation in physical education or coaching only compound the problem. Unfortunately, this common circumstance can lead to decisions that do not reflect what is known about appropriate middle-level sports programs. Some coaches exhibit behaviors and attitudes more typical of those who run collegiate and professional sports The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. . These negative behaviors, attitudes and actions toward young adolescents should not be tolerated. In addition, the number of lawsuits filed against coaches, school districts, school administrators and others in child-serving organizations has increased significantly in recent years. Although not limited to middle-level sports, the rise in litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. has powerful implications for this level considering the significant number of injuries experienced each year by those in this age group while participating in sports. The size of monetary awards in cases involving permanent disability or death now reach the $10 to $15 million range. Addressing Needs In spite of these sundry sun·dry adj. Various; miscellaneous: a purse containing keys, wallet, and sundry items. [Middle English sundri, from Old English syndrig, separate. concerns, interscholastic sports programs continue to operate at the middle level in most school districts. Thus, school leaders should take steps to ensure these programs are as safe as possible and are based on what is known about the psychological and physical needs of young adolescents. The following recommendations may prove useful in exploring the important and sometimes emotional issues regarding middle-level sports. These suggestions are intended to stimulate thinking rather than provide concrete solutions. * Improve adult supervision of all middle-level interscholastic sports activities. Quality supervision of middle-level sports programs is essential if safe and developmentally responsive programs and practices are to exist. This means that middle-level sports should receive the same level of supervision as high school programs and no middle school should be permitted to field a team unless qualified coaches are present and held accountable for the effectiveness and developmental appropriateness of the program. This responsibility extends to principals, athletic directors Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic and central-office personnel. * Tighten restrictions on the qualifications of middle-level coaches and provide close supervision and performance evaluations Performance evaluation The assessment of a manager's results, which involves, first, determining whether the money manager added value by outperforming the established benchmark (performance measurement) and, second, determining how the money manager achieved the calculated return . This recommendation implies that middle schools that cannot find qualified coaches should not be permitted to compete. This would likely be an unpopular decision, but the option of using unqualified coaches sacrifices the well being of young adolescents--an option that should not be allowed. * Institute a districtwide plan to review all programs and practices at the middle school level. The individuals responsible for this review should be representative of the major stakeholders Stakeholders All parties that have an interest, financial or otherwise, in a firm-stockholders, creditors, bondholders, employees, customers, management, the community, and the government. . The recommendations generated by this group should follow a thorough investigation of the knowledge base rather than simply reflecting personal preferences. Those involved in the review should commit to the best interests of young adolescents as the first priority. The end product should be a series of data-driven decisions, such as which sports should be played at what grade levels and what steps are going to be taken to ensure the middle-level interscholastic sports are safe and developmentally responsive. * Implement a risk management plan that reduces the risk of lawsuits. These plans have the potential to reduce lawsuits and lower the risk of injuries for youngsters. The most important objective of the plan is to help make participation in sports programs as safe as possible. * Review the systemwide process for ensuring the safety of sports equipment and sports facilities See:
All ill-fitting and worn equipment should be eliminated and the condition of all sports facilities should be monitored. Quality medical care should be provided for all athletes at games and practices. Keeping a Balance * Examine the relationship between academics and interscholastic sports at all middle schools. All involved must recognize the top priority at middle schools is the academic program. Practices that disrupt the instructional program should not be permitted. This includes missed instructional time due to game travel or participation in pep rallies. * Maintain a balanced approach to physical education, intramural sports Intramural sports or intramurals are recreational sports organized within a school. The term derives from the words intra muros meaning inside the walls,[1] and interscholastic athletics. A high priority should be placed on the human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. and funding for physical education, intramural sports and interscholastic sports. Too often at the middle level, the preponderance pre·pon·der·ance also pre·pon·der·an·cy n. Superiority in weight, force, importance, or influence. Noun 1. preponderance of resources are bestowed on the interscholastic program, which serves only a small portion of young adolescents. Recent trends suggest an increasing number of middle schools are adding interscholastic sports while those with intramural programs are declining. As these trends continue, fewer young adolescents will have opportunities to reap the benefits that result from well-planned, developmentally responsive sports programs. * Develop a comprehensive campaign to help educators, community members and other stakeholders understand the unique developmental characteristics and needs of young adolescents. A long-standing barrier to change in educational programs for young adolescents has been a widespread lack of understanding among educators and the general public about the age group. Helping larger numbers of people to better understand the developmental realities of early adolescence and celebrate the diversity among these youth will improve the athletic program and other components of the middle school curriculum. Essential Duty If administrators and other decision makers can muster the courage to address the emotionally charged issues associated with middle-level interscholastic sports, large numbers of young adolescents will reap the benefits that are possible in carefully planned and closely supervised programs. To shirk shirk In Islam, idolatry and polytheism, both of which are regarded as heretical. The Qu'ran stresses that God does not share his powers with any partner (sharik) and warns that those who believe in idols will be harshly dealt with on the Day of Judgment. the responsibility for reviewing and improving these programs is to invite serious problems for both the school district and the middle school students who participate in school-sponsored, competitive sports. Available Resources The following resources offer additional information on athletics at middle-level schools: * "An Intramural Program that Fits Middle School" by Peter Cicatelli and Coy Gaddie, in Middle School Journal, November 1992 * "An Open Sports Program in the Middle" by Ronald Klemp and Jeanne Hon, in Phi Delta Kappan, October 1992 * "Burnout in Youth Sports" by Robert Rotella, Tom Hanson Thomas Tucker Hanson (born November 10, 1907 in Navesink, New Jersey) was an American football halfback in the NFL mainly for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Temple University. and Richard Coop, in The Elementary School Journal Published by the University of Chicago Press, The Elementary School Journal is an academic journal which has served researchers, teacher educators, and practitioners in elementary and middle school education for over one hundred years. , May 1991. * "Interscholastic Sports: A Battle Not Fought" by Kenneth McEwin and Thomas Dickinson, in Schools in the Middle: Theory into Practice, January/February 1997 * "Middle Level Competitive Sports Program" by John H. Swaim and Kenneth McEwin, in What Current Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner, available from the National Middle Schools Association (800-528-NMSA or www.nmsa.org) * "Placing Young Adolescents at Risk in Interscholastic Sports Programs" by Kenneth McEwin and Thomas Dickinson, in Clearing House, March/April 1996 * "Psychological Impact of Organized Sports on Children" by Linda Vaughan, in Pediatric pediatric /pe·di·at·ric/ (pe?de-at´rik) pertaining to the health of children. pe·di·at·ric adj. Of or relating to pediatrics. and Adolescent Sports Medicine sports medicine, branch of medicine concerned with physical fitness and with the treatment and prevention of injuries and other disorders related to sports. Knee, leg, back, and shoulder injuries; stiffness and pain in joints; tendinitis; "tennis elbow"; and edited by L.J. Micheli, 1984, available from Lippincott-Raven Publishers (800-638-3030 or 301-714-2300) * "Sports Injuries in Children" by Timothy Taft, in Elementary School Journal, May 1991 * National Injury and Violence Resource Center produced a resource packet, "Injuries in the Environment," available from Educational Development Center, 55 Chapel St., Newton, Mass. 02458, or by calling 617-969-7101 * Overview of Youth Sports Programs in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , by Vern Seefeldt, Martha Ewing and Stephan Walk, produced by the Carnegie Corp., available through ERIC, 800-443-3742 * The Role of Sports in Youth Development by Alex Poinsett, available from the Carnegie Corp., 212-371-3200, www.carnegie.org |
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