Educational Media Reviews Online

Kids Sports is one program in the series of Childs Play: Growing up in America. The film addresses the burgeoning of organized youth sports across the nation. Specifically, it focuses on the trend towards over achievement, financial gains, pride, and personal glory as the ultimate goal. This opposes the traditional goals of youth sports as a fun activity and social interaction with peers. Led by media images of highly paid super athletes, society, parents and coaches have put undue pressure on our youth to perform, glory and fame being their just rewards.

Sport Psychologist Dr. Michael Simon appeals to both coaches and parents who are often caught up in these unrealistic goals to maintain reasonable ideas about their children's abilities and involvement with sports. This includes reducing pressure on a child to perform in elementary and high school athletic programs in reaching for an athletic scholarship. Furthermore, he claims that the emphasis of team sports be placed on teaching life lessons that are inherent in playing sports, such as getting along with others, dealing with success and failure, losing and winning and feelings of self worth. Professor Sandra Hoeffereth expresses her concern over the limited amount of time children today have for free play and encourages parents to reduce or limit the amount of hours a child is involved in organized sports activity. Finally, Sports Illustrated correspondent Rick Wolff and the National Director of the American Sports Education Program examine alternative approaches for pushy parents and coaches. Fun and exercise should be the main goals of youth sports. Each expert seeks to find a healthy balance in organized youth sports.

The film contains personal interviews with experts interspersed with footage of youths participating in various sports. Coaches and parents reactions are shown during the games and commentary is then given by one or more of the experts being interviewed. This provides a compelling and at times emotional impact. The video and audio qualities are very good. The film may have benefited from interviews from parents and coaches. Appropriate for elementary through junior high school level coaches, parent, teachers and youth sports organizers. It can be viewed with appreciation and profit by most general audiences. Highly recommended.