We all have a theory on what really matters to our youth athletes. But as parents what matters to us? One of the things that we (parents) commonly think that our children get from sports is a heightened sense of character and moral fiber. A newly released study (
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18115206&BRD=1651&PAG=461&dept_id=12347&rfi=6) contradicts that popularly held belief. The study finds that many youth athletes are more prone to cheating and score lower on moral cognitive tests than non-athletes. As a parent of a youth athlete, I find this highly disturbing. It is my one hope that as a parent I can leave the world a better place and I firmly believe that part of doing that is ensuring that my children help to make the world a better place too, by being stand-up citizens. We parents and coaches have a responsibility to our children and their future that we instill in them that "winning at all costs" is not necessarily always the right choice.
