What Teens Need From Sport Programs: Educational Athletics by Transformational Coaches

Abstract

Traditional conceptions of interscholastic athletics describe an “extended classroom” environment in which students develop positive psycho-social skills within a supportive team culture and positive learning climate. However, as the “professionalized model” of youth sport has become more prevalent, with its “win-at-all-cost” mentality, some school leaders have begun to question the educational value of interscholastic sport participation. The authors assert that education-based athletic programs are what teens need from schools and can still result in positive outcomes.