Mercury News Editorial

The evidence that youth sports organizations are out of control and need a dose of common sense continues to mount.

A panel of experts on youth sports called Citizenship Through Sports Alliance on Wednesday issued its first Youth Sports National Report Card, and the results should serve as another wake-up call to parents throughout the valley.

The organization's evaluations of youth sports programs for children from 6 to 14 awarded D's in the area of parental behavior and "child centered'' philosophy. Coaching for children's teams was given a C-minus.

That's unacceptable. Parents need to get a grip about "winning at all costs'' and consider the real cost to our children.

Far too many youth sports organizations across the nation and here in the valley focus too much on the effort to create a minute number of scholarship or professional athletes at the expense of the vast majority of participants.

A Mercury News investigative series in April by reporter Mark Emmons showed that fewer than 1 in 100 high school seniors participating in athletics actually receive college scholarships.

But the most incriminating evidence is the fact that 70 percent of youth are now dropping out of sports by the age of 13, an age in which they should be exercising more, not less, and learning the positive values youth sports have to offer.

It's not too late for parents to reclaim control of local organizations. Jim Thompson, founder of the Positive Coaching Alliance, cites four Bay Area organizations that are making strides in the right direction: Palo Alto Little League, the 16-team Peninsula Parishes School League, AYSO Region 44 Sunnyvale and Mustang Soccer League of Danville. In 2004, the Palo Alto Little League adopted the principles of the Positive Coaching Alliance, and in a 2005 survey, 94 percent of its more than 1,000 players reported having a positive experience playing Little League baseball.

Children who participate in youth sports are healthier and develop into better students, according to numerous surveys.

Parents of children playing youth sports must insist that organizations adhere to these core values: participation, teamwork and honoring the spirit of healthy athletic competition.

Only when children's games are given back to the kids who play them will the majority of participants learn the true values youth sports have to offer.