The importance of rec sports

How many of you growing up learned to play a sport by participating in a local recreation program? I bet it depends upon your age.

Today’s youth are joining club and/or travel teams at earlier ages. Kids are playing more than one sport in a season, or at least in a year. Many are overscheduled.

Consequently, there has been a drop in enrollment in rec sports.

Sports have become more serious, maybe less about fun, more about winning medals and looking forward to possible college scholarships. Maybe more about parents pushing kids to perform at a level they themselves were unable to achieve.

Mike Soppe, Cedar Falls Recreation and Community Programs Manager, said he saw a massive dip during the COVID years but a steady increase ever since.

“As far as AAU taking kids away, I would say probably in some of the older grades, like sixth grade and above,” he said. “Younger grades seem to be doing OK.”

How sad. Recreational sports provide accessibility and inclusivity. Soppe said the advantages of recreational sports include affordability for all.

“AAU can get expensive in a hurry. We try to keep the Rec prices low so all kids can enjoy.” he said. “While AAU does a lot of travel, which again increases costs, Rec sports are usually centrally located so kids can get there even if their parents are working.

“The third biggest (advantage) is I think we do a good job of teaching technique and fundamentals instead of the focus on ‘having to win at all costs.’”

Despite the decline of older kids participating in rec sports, they still are available to all players at all levels. Even adults. You can just sign up and play.

Youth sports are important to all sizes of communities. They develop a love for games and a sense of belonging, along with providing opportunities that may not be available to all and life lessons, just like elite sports.

Kids can still learn sportsmanship, how to be a great teammate, how to set goals, how to develop leadership skills — all characteristics that can carry you through life.

When kids play elite sports, they may not have time to participate in other activities, such as music, theatre, volunteering in the community or even holding down a job when they are old enough.

Rec sports allow for more time to do other positive things.

Specialization has become a “thing” in recent years. I believe that is a natural progression as a child enters his high school years, but it is a detriment for younger ages. Kids should try many sports to truly learn where their skills and likes lay. They won’t become burned out and trying different sports is better for their development.

Rec sports can, though, present problems for a community in terms of lack of space and volunteers. It takes facilities and people to provide a successful rec program. Soppe said his program is at the bare minimum for facilities.

“Because of our low costs, it leaves little room in the budget for expansion,” he said. “We could definitely use more fields and more courts.”

In terms of referees, “we actually went to a ‘call your own’ league for adult softball. It seems to be working pretty well. It’s getting harder and harder every year to find kids that want to officiate the younger leagues.”

More and more coaches quit because of pressure from parents, an issue that impacts umpires across many sports. Volunteers don’t want to give back if they are harassed regularly.

“I think we will stay the course,” Soppe said. “We have a strong core of programs. I think the city has recently taken an interest in growing some of our facilities, so that’s a good feeling, as well.”

I am not advocating for or against elite youth teams, but I am advocating for continued growth in the area of recreation sports.

Nancy Justis is a former competitive swimmer and college sports information director. She is a partner with Justis Creative Communications and the founder of Iowa Youth Sports Initiative. Contact her at najustis120150@gmail.com