TOMI Magazine November 2012

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.

Brian Sanders President and COO WWW.I9SPORTS.COM

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

72 NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM