R-6-4

Pathway to Prosperity

The epitome of any kids childhood is trying new things and becoming acquainted with

their strengths and weaknesses. Exercise as a youth has consistently shown better mental and

physical capacity as an adult, yet at the same time, critics cite too much youth exercise as

debilitating to a childs physical and mental development. Nonetheless, the young mind is driven

to participate in youth sports at one point or another. Whether it be the ambition to knock a ball

out of the park, catch the winning touchdown or shoot the ball into the back of the net, the

intuitive young mind is always looking to test its limits and stand out. When I was growing up, I

participated in a multitude of sports including baseball, soccer, golf, and karate. Each sport

instilled me with a unique goal, whether it was to knock the ball out of the park, dribble an entire

team, sink a long putt, or kick a board to pieces. Nevertheless, as I continued to grow into

adolescence, I began to favor more sports than others, never finding the time to attend the four

sports I participated in. At the same time, I started to look at my extracurriculars in a more

mature manner. No longer did I play solely for individual merit, but I broke down the sincere

benefits of playing the sports I played. I began to ask myself: why do I continue to play after so

many years?

The answer was simple enough. I could score as many goals as I wanted or shoot a

record-low golf score, but the true joy I receive from participating in youth sports for so many

years goes above playing. It is the brotherhood of team, the sense of accomplishment, the

ambition to achieve a common goal and the fact that you endure both success and adversity both

as an individual and as a team. However, the most important takeaway I have come to realize

from participating in sports activities is the discipline required to become successful. When I was

younger, I was immune to the underlying fundamentals of participating in organized sports.

1
 R-6-4

However, as a soon-to-be college student, I have realized the true benefits of taking part in

extracurricular sports activities. For most participants, the takeaway is individual merit,

popularity and good health. Yet the forgotten benefits of youth sports participation include the

discipline, team skills, and communication required to achieve a common team goal. As I am

getting ready to head off into the real world, I wonder how the discipline taught in youth sports

can be applied to real world occupations. By analyzing how fundamental life skills are instilled

in a team sports environment, I hope to discover how those same skills have shaped my

understanding of the real world as I continue on after high school. Therefore, I must ask: How

does playing on an organized sports team build relationships and necessary life skills?

The physical benefits of participating in sports are obvious. Not only do they provide

youth participants with ample exercise and mobility, but they allow young players the

opportunity to create friendships through shared interests. Moving into adolescence, sports

participation typically aligns with increased social and mental stability, while also providing a

breather from the monotonous task of completing hours of homework every night. Yet moving

forward, the enduring benefits of participating in organized youth sports comes into question and

is often forgotten among the obvious luxuries that come with being an active participant. Players

and parents alike maintain a mindset of playing for the moment, without taking a moment to

consider the momentous advantages playing organized sports can have for the player in the long

run. Participating in organized sports introduce youth players to necessary life skills and

enduring relationships with both teammates and coaches.

One of the most unique aspects of my question is that it can apply to the practices I attend

as a part of my club soccer team. However, in order to experience the relationship between

organized sports and their future benefits with youth participants, I took part in a soccer practice

2
 R-6-4

run by my mentor coach Gabe Cienfuegos at Arbolado Park. Mr. Cienfuegos coaches both U9s

(Under 9) and U10s, players that have yet to graduate from elementary school. Although they

showed an impressive amount of skill and determination at such a young age, I could only laugh

at the lack of discipline and structure displayed by the young players. Compared to my practices

at the U19 age level, Cienfuegoss squad showed a group of young, ambitious players who

played individually and less cohesively as a team. Yet at the same time, Cienfuegos was able to

coach his youth players with a blend of careless enthusiasm and structured work. One minute, he

would be laughing at the antics demonstrated by his inexperienced players and the next he would

be running them for showing a lack of effort. As interesting as it was to watch, I found myself

comparing Cienfuegoss practice to my own practices as a youth recreation player, where playing

was more about having fun than anything. However, I was able to hint at Cienfuegoss efforts

towards maturing his young players by applying discipline when necessary to teach a lesson or

garner better results. In the end, attending Cienfuegoss practice at Arbolado Park brought me

back to my own days as a young ambitious player, yet more importantly, helped me understand

the growth and maturity his squad will experience as they mature into better, smarter players.

In order to understand the long-term benefits of playing on an organized sports team, one

must understand the criticism entailed with playing youth sports and why some of these fears

have unforeseen positives. Most of the criticism surrounding the arena of organized sports at all

levels revolves around the coaching aspect of the game. Increasing rates of attrition are linked to

favoritism, poor teaching skills, and increased pressure to win, all of which created a negative

atmosphere and decreased the fun of playing sport (Merkel). Although personally discouraging,

this is not the reality of the working world. Competition is prevalent in all aspects of our society

today, and the drive to be competitive from a young age encourages persistence, endurance, and

3
 R-6-4

ultimately, results. Sports Studies and Kinesiology professors Cesar Torres and Peter Hager

argue: If sport is maintained as a competitive venture, young athletes will have the opportunity

to learn relevant contesting skillsThese might include learning how to play with a lead, how to

come from behind, how to compete well in close contests, and when to take strategic risks

(Torres & Hager). These in game skills can be applied to how one makes a critical business

decision or how one weighs the risks and benefits of their options or decisions on the job. In

addition, the competitive nature existent in youth sports allows youth players to experience both

success and adversity. Achieving success in youth sports is all well and good, yet the lessons

taken from dealing with adversity go the distance in educating young players about losing and

how to deal with losing in life. Though winning is stressed in youth sports, losing is an

inevitability, just as it is in the real world. In fact, a prevalent argument is that a win-first

coaching attitude is counterproductive and relinquishes an opportunity to learn a valuable lesson.

Torres and Hager point out that, some disappointment is inevitable; for no child will get a hit

every time she steps to the plate or score every time he shoots the ball. Additionally, they ask,

If, as adults, we are willing to let them risk the disappointment that accompanies poor

performance, why are we hesitant to let them risk and experience losing? (Torres & Hager).

Both professors make a point to emphasize the uncanny connection between the pressure to

perform in youth sports and the reluctance to risk the shame of a loss. The competitive nature

instilled in youth sports creates a pressure to perform from parents and coaches, yet the fact is

that mistakes and losing are inevitable aspects of competitive sports and those setbacks should be

utilized for progressive development and structured improvement. While some of the criticism

undermining youth sports are out of our control, the atmosphere and the disciplinary approach to

4
 R-6-4

youth athletic development make the difference in garnering the best results for young players,

physically and mentally.

The most enduring aspect of participating in organized youth sports is the lifelong

friendships and relationships made with both coaches and players. As a soccer player, I have

developed relationships with a multitude of coaches and players from different cultural and

social backgrounds. While I have played with most for a limited period of time and some since I

was in kindergarten, the connections made with both players and coaches alike has personally

allowed me to not only make lifelong friends and mentors, but to understand myself and what I

look for in friends and acquaintances. Generally, an organized sports environment can be

socially beneficial to youth participants. Doctor Mirjam Quinn, a Clinical Psychology Professor

at Argosy University summarizes: Research shows that participation in team sports can help

children develop important social skills including the ability to delay gratification, follow rules

and navigate conflict. Regular exercise decreases anxiety, improves mood, and fosters the

development of important brain functions including attention, planning and organization

(Adams). The atmosphere of an organized sports environment allows young players to make

friends, value the importance of teamwork, and learn how to respect a superior in the form of a

coach. In high school, these benefits enhance to strengthen relationships with classmates, play

for their school, and most importantly, develop relationships with the coaching faculty. Professor

Robert Halpern points out: Experience with sports in middle childhood seems to be a helpful

bridge to sports participation in adolescence, connecting children to a peer group that will tend to

be more involved with sports in high school. Additionally, he comments that participation in

high school sports, provide a sense of affiliation and belonging for young people at a time of

life prone to alienation (Halpern). Participating in an organized sports environment heightens

5
 R-6-4

confidence and encourages youth players to learn the value of communication among the team,

with their coaching superiors, and in the classroom. The National Institute of Health concluded

from three adolescent studies that participation in youth sports demonstrated improved skills in

goal setting, time management, emotional control, leadership, wisdom, social intelligence,

cooperation, and self-exploration (Merkel). Although these benefits are easy to point out on the

field and in the classroom, building relationships with both players and coaches alike become

more relevant down the road. Coaches can become important points of reference in college and

may also be suitable for letters of recommendation, notably for job applications and college

scholarships. Additionally, relationships with teammates can be instrumental in heightened

social awareness and motivation in both college and at public events. Nonetheless, the most

enduring take away from organized sports participation is the relationships built with both

teammates and coaches. From my own experiences, these relationships are not only socially and

mentally substantial, but they provide the groundwork for a successful future after high school

and beyond.

The basic philosophy of an organized sport revolves around the presence of a competitive

atmosphere, a cohesive team mentality, and the effort put forth by a band of individuals to come

together and achieve common goals, all of which achieve the purpose of educating players about

necessary skills and tactics utilized in the working world. Participating in organized sports have

been shown to correlate to increased behavioral, cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal

skills, all of which can be taught in a training environment. In The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating

the Best Youth Sports Experience for Your Child, Jeffery Rhoads concluded, We only remember

10% of what were told, and additionally points out, Adolescents are active and learn best by

doing not just listening (Rhoads 42). Rhoadss point exemplifies how simply participating and

6
 R-6-4

being open to improving at any respective sport can supplement youth players with the ability to

heighten their decision-making and social skills to a point where it can be helpful outside the

training environment. While participating in youth sports does not directly correlate to a real-

world working environment, the circumstances at which trainings and games are held at allow

players to adapt and communicate effectively in order to achieve the results they are after. This

can be especially true when participating in high school sports, as the scholarly aspect of sport is

held in a much higher regard than at the club or recreational level. Frank Smoll and Robert

Smith, behavioral psychologists, state in Children and Youth in Sport: a Biopsychosocial

Perspective, that:

Highschool sport may be an appropriate context for teaching youth life skills in
addition to athletic skills while simultaneously contributing to the educational
mission of schools. Supportive evidence from studies of US youth have revealed
associations between highschool sport participation and higher academic performance,
greater likelihood of attending college, and greater autonomy and satisfaction in ones
first job, along with higher levels of selfknowledge, emotional regulation, problem
solving, goal attainment, team work, and skill development. (Smoll & Smith 67)

From personal experience, the presence of playing for a high school adds an element of pride and

devotement to a high school team. Being around student-athletes and coaches from the local

community allow the high school sports environment to bring a sense of community and

responsibility to participants as representation goes a long way towards one's reputation in the

community around them. Yet, most of all, the privilege of belonging to a high school sports

team allows students to experience the feeling of being a part of something greater than the sport,

rather, a sense of cohesive team spirit, will to improve mentally and physically, and the drive to

leave a legacy as a student-athlete. Ultimately, the atmosphere associated with an organized

sport allows youth participants to develop crucial mental and social life skills, whether or not

they grow to acknowledge these benefits.

7
 R-6-4

As a former youth soccer player and an individual who has devoted his life to teaching

kids on and off the field, Tyler Rosencrans was an obvious pick for my first interview. A former

high school and college soccer player, Rosencrans has since earned his teaching credential from

Branman college, a credential that has a focus in special education. Currently, he juggles

responsibilities between teaching special education at California High School, operating as Head

Varsity Soccer Coach at the same school, and coaching two club soccer teams for Walnut Creek

Soccer club, one of which is mine. For this particular interview, I met Mr. Rosencrans after

training at Peets Coffee. Most of Mr. Rosencranss questions were based on how he sees youth

development at the club level compared to the high school level, and how he particularly utilizes

his coaching philosophy to educate his players and improve. When I asked him to compare his

work at Cal High with his work at club, Rosencrans said that high school is a different beast

mentioning how high school is associated with school pride, a shorter amount of time for

everyone to come together and play for the school. On the contrary, he described club as a

development opportunity that takes place over a longer period of time. In summary, he

concluded that club participation allows the best soccer possible. Another question I asked Mr.

Rosencrans was how he compared development amongst all of his players, how this growth

varied and why. Rosencrans then told me how growth was determined by the player and his or

her will to improve, listen, and learn from mistakes. He mentioned how some players are more

stubborn and unwilling to be coached, inflicting their development as student-athletes.

Rosencrans concluded his answer by stating that the player needs to buy into the system in

order to be successful. That system is the philosophy demonstrated by a coach and

challenges the player to be open to new ideas and structured improvement.

8
 R-6-4

Searching for a versatile interviewee who understood youth sports development from

every level was easy when I contacted Gabe Cienfuegos. A former Northgate High School

Soccer player and a close coaching acquaintance, Coach Cienfuegos was just the man I could

expect to receive the answers I was looking for. As the youth director for Walnut Creek Soccer

Club and an assistant varsity coach at Northgate, Cienfuegos had no trouble relating to the

purpose behind my project. Ironically, I met Mr. Cienfuegos at the same Peets Coffee I had met

up with Mr. Rosencrans, however I asked Cienfuegos more about his particular coaching

philosophy, how he structures his training environment, and how he came to be a coach from his

own experiences as a youth player. I first asked him how his own youth experiences inspired

him to become a coach. To that, he explained how he was always pushed to his limits, citing

that, my coaches were always tough on me because they realized my potential and the player I

could become. He then concluded that these experiences are what inspired him to become a

coach and what inspire his coaching philosophy. I also asked Cienfuegos about his coaching

philosophy and how he structures his trainings towards sustained mental and physical growth.

From my own experiences under Cienfuegos, I wasnt too surprised when he told me how he

stressed a high-work rate, no excuses atmosphere at trainings. He explained how he allowed his

players to play for themselves without significant guidance, elaborating that my relaxed attitude

allows the players the opportunity to adapt and adjust for themselves in order to improve on their

own. He further noted how his high expectations for his players correlate with the expectations

that are forecasted in life, pointing out how colleges don't look for some high school dropout

soccer superstar, rather, a player that is willing to put in the work, play for the team, and strive to

improve every day.

9
 R-6-4

Throughout this process, I have had the opportunity to reflect upon my own development

as a youth player, while at the same time, experiencing the true benefits of participating in

organized sports as an ambitious youth. I have begun to appreciate the opportunities I have at

trainings twice a week, not only to improve my skillset as a player, but my mentality as a soon-

to-be college student-athlete. This experience has allowed me to reflect upon my progressive

development from an individualistic, play-to-win kid into a cooperative, composed student-

athlete, fully aware of what it means to be a part of an organized sport. Other than my personal

playing experiences, this project has allowed me to appreciate the work of those I play alongside.

From high school to club, both teammates and coaches alike have made me the player and the

person I am today and I cant be thankful enough for the ups and downs I have experienced over

the years. In addition, the opportunity I have been able to experience as a player-coach is one

that has made me understand how important the mentality of a youth sports coach is for the well-

being of his or her players. While participating in organized sports is a stand-alone method of

accelerating ones behavioral and cognitive skills, the guidance and disposition of a well-rounded

coach can have a significant impact on how these skills develop for each individual.

Nevertheless, what I have learned throughout this process was no surprise to me, yet the process

of discovering the relationship between organized sports and the real world has truly enlightened

my understanding and appreciation for what I have learned and what I can inform the next

generation of youth players about in the near future.

10
 R-6-4

Works Cited
Books:
Rhoads, Jeffrey. The Joy of Youth Sports: Creating the Best Youth Sports Experience for

Your Child. Lexington, KY, Avaplay Press, 2009.

Smoll, Frank L., and Ronald Edward Smith. Children and Youth in Sport: a

Biopsychosocial Perspective. Dubuque, IA, Kendall/Hunt Pub., 2002.

Electronic Sources:
Adams, Rebecca. Kids in Sports - The Pressure to Perform. Welcome to Argosy

University, Argosy University, 3 Mar. 2016, Accessed 9 Mar. 2017.

Halpern, Robert. Physical Inactivity among Low-Income Children and Youth: Problem,

Prospect, Challenge. 2006, Accessed 8 Mar. 2017.

Merkel, Donna L. "Youth Sport: Positive and Negative Impact on Young Athletes." Open

Access Journal of Sports Medicine. Dove Medical Press, 31 May 2013. Web. 15

Feb. 2017.

Torres, Cesar R., and Peter F. Hager. De-Emphasizing Competition in Organized

Youth. The College at Brockport: State University of New York, Kinesiology,

Sports Studies and Physical Education, 1 Jan. 2007, Accessed 8 Mar.

2017.

Primary Sources:
Cienfuegos, Gabriel, Youth Club Soccer Coach, Walnut Creek, CA. Personal

Interview. 14 March, 2017

11
 R-6-4

Rosencrans, Tyler. Special Ed Teacher, High School and Club Soccer Coach, Walnut

Creek, CA. Personal Interview. 6 March, 2017.

12