Little League Baseball's "You Make Me Sick" campaign still rates as the most effective, but this "That Call Stinks" ad brought to you by the Canadian Hockey Association is pretty good at turning the tables on abusive parents. Idea: Could we raise $3 million and air it during the Super Bowl?
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
More on concussions, criminal charges
Sadly, kids and sports injuries seem to be at the top of the news this week.
NPR's Talk of the Nation aired a pointed discussion on the Louisville prep coach charged in the death of the young player who died from heat stroke. Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights, the Grapes of Wrath of youth sports books, was one of the guests and let's just say it's a good thing for the accused coach that Buzz won't be sitting on the jury. The other guest was Antoinette "Toni" Konz, education reporter for The Louisville Courier-Journal who explained that rather than rush to judgment, the prosecutors actually showed great restraint. Their investigation went on for months before they presented their case - which apparently included numerous accounts of the coach denying water to his players - to a grand jury - .
Then there was the report released yesterday further establishing the link between concussions suffered by football players - mostly NFL players, but not all - and early onset dementia.
The headline from that story as it will be reported in most places is that six former NFL players are now known to have died early from a degenerative brain disease caused by head trauma, the latest being Tom McHale, a former Tampa Bay Buc. The report goes on to say that for the first time evidence of the same brain condition has been discovered in an 18-year-old boy "who suffered multiple concussions in high school football."
From a press release issued by the Boston University School of Medicine:
"The discovery of the initial stages of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy)in an 18-year-old should move the discussion of football's concussion crisis toward youth football. The identity of the 18-year-old will not be revealed at the family's request. According to Cantu [Robert Cantu, MD, chief of Neurosurgery and director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in
Concord, Mass and a study co-author], "Our efforts to educate athletes, coaches, and parents on the need to identify and rest concussions have only been moderately
successful because people have been willing to look the other way when a
child suffers a concussion. I hope the discovery of CTE in a child creates the urgency this issue needs. It is morally and ethically wrong to allow our children to voluntarily suffer this kind of brain trauma
without taking the simple educational steps needed to protect them."
It's comforting to think that the answer is education. If the coaches and parents understood the risks, they wouldn't be putting the star quarterback who'd just had his bell rung back into the game. Comforting because if the fix were that simple, these injuries could be reduced or even eliminated within a matter of months or, worst case, years. It isn't that simple.
NPR's Talk of the Nation aired a pointed discussion on the Louisville prep coach charged in the death of the young player who died from heat stroke. Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights, the Grapes of Wrath of youth sports books, was one of the guests and let's just say it's a good thing for the accused coach that Buzz won't be sitting on the jury. The other guest was Antoinette "Toni" Konz, education reporter for The Louisville Courier-Journal who explained that rather than rush to judgment, the prosecutors actually showed great restraint. Their investigation went on for months before they presented their case - which apparently included numerous accounts of the coach denying water to his players - to a grand jury - .
Then there was the report released yesterday further establishing the link between concussions suffered by football players - mostly NFL players, but not all - and early onset dementia.
The headline from that story as it will be reported in most places is that six former NFL players are now known to have died early from a degenerative brain disease caused by head trauma, the latest being Tom McHale, a former Tampa Bay Buc. The report goes on to say that for the first time evidence of the same brain condition has been discovered in an 18-year-old boy "who suffered multiple concussions in high school football."
From a press release issued by the Boston University School of Medicine:
"The discovery of the initial stages of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy)in an 18-year-old should move the discussion of football's concussion crisis toward youth football. The identity of the 18-year-old will not be revealed at the family's request. According to Cantu [Robert Cantu, MD, chief of Neurosurgery and director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in
Concord, Mass and a study co-author], "Our efforts to educate athletes, coaches, and parents on the need to identify and rest concussions have only been moderately
successful because people have been willing to look the other way when a
child suffers a concussion. I hope the discovery of CTE in a child creates the urgency this issue needs. It is morally and ethically wrong to allow our children to voluntarily suffer this kind of brain trauma
without taking the simple educational steps needed to protect them."
It's comforting to think that the answer is education. If the coaches and parents understood the risks, they wouldn't be putting the star quarterback who'd just had his bell rung back into the game. Comforting because if the fix were that simple, these injuries could be reduced or even eliminated within a matter of months or, worst case, years. It isn't that simple.
Monday, January 26, 2009
New strategy for youth sports parents: divorce
Kudos to the Coaches Channel for this story.
The retiring executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, Ronnie Carter, submitted to sort of an exit interview with the Web publication. After 23 years in his post, and 42 overall as a coach and administrator, he'd seen some squirrelly behavior from parents. One recent trend was very much on his mind as he spoke last week. It seems that some parents have developed a new tool to advance their children's sports careers. They're filing for divorce.
That was my reaction.
It works this way: One estranged (I guess) parent remains in the family home. The other moves to a new address served by a school district where a child's sports future might be brighter - a better chance to be the starting field hockey goalie or key cog on a state championship basketball team. Not clear to me why the parents need to divorce for this inventive, if extreme, strategy to work - perhaps it helps establish the second place as the child's true home. In any case, it's a novel reason for ending a marriage.
The retiring executive director of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, Ronnie Carter, submitted to sort of an exit interview with the Web publication. After 23 years in his post, and 42 overall as a coach and administrator, he'd seen some squirrelly behavior from parents. One recent trend was very much on his mind as he spoke last week. It seems that some parents have developed a new tool to advance their children's sports careers. They're filing for divorce.
That was my reaction.
It works this way: One estranged (I guess) parent remains in the family home. The other moves to a new address served by a school district where a child's sports future might be brighter - a better chance to be the starting field hockey goalie or key cog on a state championship basketball team. Not clear to me why the parents need to divorce for this inventive, if extreme, strategy to work - perhaps it helps establish the second place as the child's true home. In any case, it's a novel reason for ending a marriage.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Prep coach charged in death of a 15-year-old
Picking up on the point of yesterday's post - kid athletes are supposed to be safer when adults are supervising, but often the opposite is true - there's the distressing story of the Louisville football coach charged Wednesday with reckless homicide in the death of a 15-year-old player who collapsed from heat stroke at practice.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that the case may mark the first time a criminal charge has been filed in such a case involving a high school or college coach.
From the C-J article:
"David Jason Stinson was indicted yesterday by a Jefferson County grand jury in the death of sophomore lineman Max Gilpin, who collapsed Aug. 20 and died three days later at Kosair Children's Hospital, after his body temperature had reached 107 degrees.
If convicted, Stinson could be sentenced to five years in prison. His attorney, Alex Dathorne, said Stinson was "shocked" by the indictment.
"He will maintain his innocence, and I believe this will be tried in front of a jury where they will hear all of the evidence, including the testimony of Mr. Stinson," Dathorne said.
Jefferson Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel, who made no recommendation to the grand jury, said grand jurors didn't find that Stinson's actions were intentional or malicious.
He said reckless homicide occurs when a "person fails to perceive a risk that a reasonable person in that situation would have seen" and that person's actions cause a death."
Later in the article:
"Max and a second player collapsed during the practice in which PRP coaches were alleged to have withheld water and continued to run players on a day when the heat index reached 94 degrees. The second player, a senior, spent two days in the hospital.
Both Jefferson County Public Schools and Louisville Metro Police investigated Max's death after The Courier-Journal reported that bystanders near the practice field heard coaches deny the players water. Other witnesses heard the coaches say they would run the players until someone quit the team."
In addition to the newspaper's excellent reporting, it has posted audio of the "911" call placed when Max Gilpin collapsed and video of his funeral. Very sad but worthwhile. There's also a good sidebar story on the shock waves in the coaching ranks caused by the criminal charges.
The coach is innocent until proven guilty, of course. But here we are again discussing a young player who was grievously harmed, arguably, because adults were around telling him what to do - and, tragically, what he couldn't.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that the case may mark the first time a criminal charge has been filed in such a case involving a high school or college coach.
From the C-J article:
"David Jason Stinson was indicted yesterday by a Jefferson County grand jury in the death of sophomore lineman Max Gilpin, who collapsed Aug. 20 and died three days later at Kosair Children's Hospital, after his body temperature had reached 107 degrees.
If convicted, Stinson could be sentenced to five years in prison. His attorney, Alex Dathorne, said Stinson was "shocked" by the indictment.
"He will maintain his innocence, and I believe this will be tried in front of a jury where they will hear all of the evidence, including the testimony of Mr. Stinson," Dathorne said.
Jefferson Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel, who made no recommendation to the grand jury, said grand jurors didn't find that Stinson's actions were intentional or malicious.
He said reckless homicide occurs when a "person fails to perceive a risk that a reasonable person in that situation would have seen" and that person's actions cause a death."
Later in the article:
"Max and a second player collapsed during the practice in which PRP coaches were alleged to have withheld water and continued to run players on a day when the heat index reached 94 degrees. The second player, a senior, spent two days in the hospital.
Both Jefferson County Public Schools and Louisville Metro Police investigated Max's death after The Courier-Journal reported that bystanders near the practice field heard coaches deny the players water. Other witnesses heard the coaches say they would run the players until someone quit the team."
In addition to the newspaper's excellent reporting, it has posted audio of the "911" call placed when Max Gilpin collapsed and video of his funeral. Very sad but worthwhile. There's also a good sidebar story on the shock waves in the coaching ranks caused by the criminal charges.
The coach is innocent until proven guilty, of course. But here we are again discussing a young player who was grievously harmed, arguably, because adults were around telling him what to do - and, tragically, what he couldn't.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Jason Koenig v. North Mason School District
This story got past me last spring, but now that I've heard about it I just have to comment.
From the Seattle Times:
"A Mason County jury ruled Wednesday afternoon that the North Mason School District was not negligent in pitching student Jason Koenig approximately 425 pitches in a 16-day period in 2001.
"In a lawsuit that Koenig's attorney believes was unprecedented in the United States — and one Koenig hopes nudges the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) to re-evaluate its rules — Koenig sued the school district in April 2004 for negligence."
Two things I find notable about this story. First, of course, that we've reached a point where kid athletes are suing adults for putting them in harm's way. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around, that children are safer on a sports field precisely because grownups are running the show?
Second, the reason that the school district was found not negligent - the jury determined that Koenig's high school coach didn't know enough about "the risks of high pitch counts."
Maybe. A follow up story in the Times gives more detail of how the coach used - and allegedly misused - Koenig. It's a cautionary tale for every parent. Even the most informed, grounded, caring coach is, at the end of the day, only a coach, with an agenda that could differ from what's best for your child. It's uncomfortable and sometimes awkward. But don't be afraid to speak up and, if needed, speak up loudly.
(Incidentally, in this case, Koenig's mother, apparently did explicitly tell the coach to take her son out of the game. He was injured 23 pitches later).
This isn't an attack on coaches. I'm not advocating that every high school kid who suffers an avoidable injury hire a lawyer. Maybe stricter rules that rein in the adults will do.
From the Seattle Times:
"A Mason County jury ruled Wednesday afternoon that the North Mason School District was not negligent in pitching student Jason Koenig approximately 425 pitches in a 16-day period in 2001.
"In a lawsuit that Koenig's attorney believes was unprecedented in the United States — and one Koenig hopes nudges the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) to re-evaluate its rules — Koenig sued the school district in April 2004 for negligence."
Two things I find notable about this story. First, of course, that we've reached a point where kid athletes are suing adults for putting them in harm's way. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around, that children are safer on a sports field precisely because grownups are running the show?
Second, the reason that the school district was found not negligent - the jury determined that Koenig's high school coach didn't know enough about "the risks of high pitch counts."
Maybe. A follow up story in the Times gives more detail of how the coach used - and allegedly misused - Koenig. It's a cautionary tale for every parent. Even the most informed, grounded, caring coach is, at the end of the day, only a coach, with an agenda that could differ from what's best for your child. It's uncomfortable and sometimes awkward. But don't be afraid to speak up and, if needed, speak up loudly.
(Incidentally, in this case, Koenig's mother, apparently did explicitly tell the coach to take her son out of the game. He was injured 23 pitches later).
This isn't an attack on coaches. I'm not advocating that every high school kid who suffers an avoidable injury hire a lawyer. Maybe stricter rules that rein in the adults will do.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
What every kid player doesn't need
My early nomination for "Least Essential Youth Sports Product of the Year." (And judging from the faux smiles plastered on their faces, I'd say Sparky Lyle and Roy White agree). Yours for $19.95.
Notice how the kid drops a pristine white ball on the ground and that the one he picks up looks like it was last thrown by Burleigh Grimes.
Notice how the kid drops a pristine white ball on the ground and that the one he picks up looks like it was last thrown by Burleigh Grimes.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
NCAA draws the line at the eighth grade
News item:
"Under a new recruiting rule adopted this week, male basketball players in the seventh and eighth grades are now defined as prospective athletes, a move designed to prevent overeager college coaches from recruiting them," reports the Chronicle of Higher Education.
This is a classic good news/bad news. The bad, of course, is that the NCAA needs to expand the rulebook to prevent college coaches, sports-minded alumni, and others from mining 13-year-olds. The good is that the NCAA finally is acknowledging that the recruiting wars begin that early, amazing as that may be. All the abuses/excesses/distortions that we've come to expect of blue-chip high school athletes are occurring - not in rampant fashion, but frequently enough - in, yes, middle schools.
We've commented on the problem before in this space. And I recently had an interesting conversation with someone who deals with dozens of high school athletes every day. He told me some hard-to-believe stories of eighth graders committing, unofficially, to college programs before they've dressed for a single high school game, much less proven themselves at that level or the next.
One (among many) negative effects is that these kids totally lose focus. They've reached the ultimate goal - to catch the eye of a college coach - set by their parents, club coaches and others, so what's left to prove? My friend tells me these kids often kind of sleep walk through their high school sports lives, convinced that they already have the talent, skills and a guaranteed future. Perfectly understandable.
Does the NCAA need to extend its no-recruiting-eighth-graders zone beyond basketball, to football and even women's lacrosse? From what I hear, absolutely.
"Under a new recruiting rule adopted this week, male basketball players in the seventh and eighth grades are now defined as prospective athletes, a move designed to prevent overeager college coaches from recruiting them," reports the Chronicle of Higher Education.
This is a classic good news/bad news. The bad, of course, is that the NCAA needs to expand the rulebook to prevent college coaches, sports-minded alumni, and others from mining 13-year-olds. The good is that the NCAA finally is acknowledging that the recruiting wars begin that early, amazing as that may be. All the abuses/excesses/distortions that we've come to expect of blue-chip high school athletes are occurring - not in rampant fashion, but frequently enough - in, yes, middle schools.
We've commented on the problem before in this space. And I recently had an interesting conversation with someone who deals with dozens of high school athletes every day. He told me some hard-to-believe stories of eighth graders committing, unofficially, to college programs before they've dressed for a single high school game, much less proven themselves at that level or the next.
One (among many) negative effects is that these kids totally lose focus. They've reached the ultimate goal - to catch the eye of a college coach - set by their parents, club coaches and others, so what's left to prove? My friend tells me these kids often kind of sleep walk through their high school sports lives, convinced that they already have the talent, skills and a guaranteed future. Perfectly understandable.
Does the NCAA need to extend its no-recruiting-eighth-graders zone beyond basketball, to football and even women's lacrosse? From what I hear, absolutely.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Study: Kids at 3 more active than kids at 4
Most of the youth sports posts found here can be filed under this heading: Too much. Too much pressure, too much parental angst, too much money for a kids baseball bat, too much focus on the (illusory) path to a college scholarship. Just plain too much.
Which brings me to today's topic: Not enough.
A study published this month shows a "significant reduction" in physical activity occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 4-5.
The study also found that kids in this age group spent about 90 minutes per day in front of screens, including television, computers and video games. They spent another 90 minutes in similarly sedentary pursuits, namely reading, drawing and listening to music.
A total of 244 kids were in the study which was conducted in New Zealand. Children were observed before turning three and then again as they approached their fourth and fifth birthdays. There's more to the methodology - how do you reliably track the activity of kids that age, anyway? - but the interesting stuff is the conclusion: Even at this tender age, boys and girls are choosing couch-potato status over jumping, stamping, clapping hands and other age-appropriate stuff.
“One opportunity we get by way of these results is to narrow in on an age range where we can really encourage healthy habits for very young children,” said Rachael Taylor, Ph.D., lead author of the study said in a press release posted by the American College of Sports Medicine, which published the study.
“That is going to mean turning some of that screen time into activity time, where kids are running, jumping and playing. Or, more specifically, considering that target age range of 4 and 5, it is probably the right time to encourage more outside play where possible, or enroll a child in gymnastics, tennis or another structured activity in order to increase their exposure to physical activity.”
I'm generally suspect of organized sports for pre-schoolers. (Let's call it what it is: baby-sitting). On the other hand, I volunteer to turn off the TV.
Which brings me to today's topic: Not enough.
A study published this month shows a "significant reduction" in physical activity occurs in children between the ages of 3 and 4-5.
The study also found that kids in this age group spent about 90 minutes per day in front of screens, including television, computers and video games. They spent another 90 minutes in similarly sedentary pursuits, namely reading, drawing and listening to music.
A total of 244 kids were in the study which was conducted in New Zealand. Children were observed before turning three and then again as they approached their fourth and fifth birthdays. There's more to the methodology - how do you reliably track the activity of kids that age, anyway? - but the interesting stuff is the conclusion: Even at this tender age, boys and girls are choosing couch-potato status over jumping, stamping, clapping hands and other age-appropriate stuff.
“One opportunity we get by way of these results is to narrow in on an age range where we can really encourage healthy habits for very young children,” said Rachael Taylor, Ph.D., lead author of the study said in a press release posted by the American College of Sports Medicine, which published the study.
“That is going to mean turning some of that screen time into activity time, where kids are running, jumping and playing. Or, more specifically, considering that target age range of 4 and 5, it is probably the right time to encourage more outside play where possible, or enroll a child in gymnastics, tennis or another structured activity in order to increase their exposure to physical activity.”
I'm generally suspect of organized sports for pre-schoolers. (Let's call it what it is: baby-sitting). On the other hand, I volunteer to turn off the TV.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Punt, Pass and Kick - today and yesterday
Two stories about Punt, Pass and Kick, the kids football skills contest that crowned its champions last weekend. One story takes place 40 years ago in an open field in small-town New Jersey, witnessed by six kids in dungarees. The other played out at a packed pro stadium and in front of a national TV audience.
First, a family story. The protagonist is my older brother David, now an attorney in Philly. We grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, a working class town of about 10,000 people best known as the birthplace of rocker Bruce Springsteen. Now, I turn over the blog to my big brother:
"In the early 60s, I think it may have been 1964, Ford started its Punt, Pass & Kick competition. I have a vague recollection of signing up in a supermarket at the age of ten. When dad learned of my interest, he encouraged me daily to practice the three skills so I would be prepared when the performance day arrived.As football was a distant second favorite sport to baseball, there was much room for improvement. Since passing resembled throwing a baseball, I could get off a decent throw, but using my feet for punting or kicking was a very different picture. But truthfully it didn't matter much to me, I just felt like signing up for this new contest. Dad thought I should care more.
"The day arrived and attendance was skimpy. There were three or four different age categories. When they called for the 10-year-olds it was just me and one other kid. I beat him! First place prize was a neat football jacket and certificate. My competitor got the second place award. I don't know what they did with the third place prize.
"I loved the jacket and wore it home proudly. You should have seen the look on dad's face when I arrived home as the winner. He clearly thought this would be a humbling learning experience for me - can't excel without putting in the hard work. But sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."
Next, the story of Anna Grant of Stratham, N.H., the national winner of last year's PPK confab in the girls' age 14-15 division.
Short story, actually. In January 2008, between the third and fourth quarters of a playoff game at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Anna stepped forward to be recognized as the new national champ. As a New Englander, she was "representing" her hometown team, the New England Patriots. She wore a PPK Patriots jersey. She smiled. And as her name was announced, the sellout crowd of Colts fans booed her. Yes, booed a 14-year-old girl.
Grant was back in the finals last weekend at halftime of the NFC playoff game in Charlotte. No boos this year. Anna finished third.
First, a family story. The protagonist is my older brother David, now an attorney in Philly. We grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, a working class town of about 10,000 people best known as the birthplace of rocker Bruce Springsteen. Now, I turn over the blog to my big brother:
"In the early 60s, I think it may have been 1964, Ford started its Punt, Pass & Kick competition. I have a vague recollection of signing up in a supermarket at the age of ten. When dad learned of my interest, he encouraged me daily to practice the three skills so I would be prepared when the performance day arrived.As football was a distant second favorite sport to baseball, there was much room for improvement. Since passing resembled throwing a baseball, I could get off a decent throw, but using my feet for punting or kicking was a very different picture. But truthfully it didn't matter much to me, I just felt like signing up for this new contest. Dad thought I should care more.
"The day arrived and attendance was skimpy. There were three or four different age categories. When they called for the 10-year-olds it was just me and one other kid. I beat him! First place prize was a neat football jacket and certificate. My competitor got the second place award. I don't know what they did with the third place prize.
"I loved the jacket and wore it home proudly. You should have seen the look on dad's face when I arrived home as the winner. He clearly thought this would be a humbling learning experience for me - can't excel without putting in the hard work. But sometimes it's better to be lucky than good."
Next, the story of Anna Grant of Stratham, N.H., the national winner of last year's PPK confab in the girls' age 14-15 division.
Short story, actually. In January 2008, between the third and fourth quarters of a playoff game at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Anna stepped forward to be recognized as the new national champ. As a New Englander, she was "representing" her hometown team, the New England Patriots. She wore a PPK Patriots jersey. She smiled. And as her name was announced, the sellout crowd of Colts fans booed her. Yes, booed a 14-year-old girl.
Grant was back in the finals last weekend at halftime of the NFC playoff game in Charlotte. No boos this year. Anna finished third.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Kid athletes and the art of the sell
I've made a career - I'm trying, at least - of calling attention to and then lamenting the commercialization of youth sports. The Little League World Series contributes $16 million to the Pennsylvania economy each year and attracts TV ratings higher than many pro sports. One of ESPN2’s highest rated programs on record - second only to coverage of Dale Earnhardt's death - was the net's first telecast of Lebron James as a high school basketball player. On and on.
I'm not expecting to hold back the flood gates of commercialism. But from time to time I will be pointing out examples of youth sports transformed (and reduced) to selling and marketing a product. This ad promotes a noble purpose - Britain's Child Trust Fund. And it's pretty hilarious - six views and I'm still smiling. Still, it's an instance of an ad campaign built around a kid in a sports uniform breaking into the pro ranks.
I'm not expecting to hold back the flood gates of commercialism. But from time to time I will be pointing out examples of youth sports transformed (and reduced) to selling and marketing a product. This ad promotes a noble purpose - Britain's Child Trust Fund. And it's pretty hilarious - six views and I'm still smiling. Still, it's an instance of an ad campaign built around a kid in a sports uniform breaking into the pro ranks.
Friday, January 09, 2009
The top 10 salaries in youth sports, unofficially
The other day, I set out to answer the seldom (perhaps, never-before) asked question: Who are the highest-paid adults in youth sports?
I fired up my laptop, pointed my browser at Guidestar, the repository on the Web for all things pertaining to non-profit organizations, and started searching. After a few hours reviewing tax filings and disclosure forms, these are the 10 highest paid executives I found in youth sports organizations.
Caveats:
This isn't close to a definitive survey. Please write if you know of others who should make the list.
It doesn't include benefits and deferred compensation. (In the case of Little League's Keener, more than $30,000 in the year I reviewed).
Most important, I'm looking only at non-profits. Add for-profit companies and of course the list would be wall-to-wall executives squeezing dollars out of youth sports for Nike, Adidas, ESPN and the other kids and sports corporate behemoths.
With those qualifications, here's the top 10. The salary figures are from the organizations' most recent available tax filings - sometimes two to three years ago.
1. Stephen A. Hamblin, American Junior Golf Association executive director, $328,941.
2. Stephen Keener, Little League Baseball president and CEO, $197,700.
3. Bobby Dodd, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) president, $190,196
4. Steven Tellefson, Babe Ruth League Baseball, president and CEO $150,242
5. Peter Ripa, American Junior Golf Association, assistant executive director, $137,677.
6. Rosemary Schoellkopf, Babe Ruth League CFO, $133,159.
7. Dave Houseknecht, Little League Baseball CFO, $125,000
8. Joseph Smiegocki, Babe Ruth League Baseball vice president, $120,017
9. Michael Killpack, AAU director of sports, $119,502
10. Robert Faherty, Babe Ruth League Baseball communications, $116,312
The highest-paid youth sports coach I found - again, looking only at non-profits - John Hackworth, United States Soccer Federation youth national team coach, who earned $109,080.
Not everyone is pulling down a six-figure income, to be sure. These modestly paid people were the top earners in their respective youth sports organizations, according to the tax filings.
Hammid Wadood, Snoop Youth Football Foundation administrator, $60,000
Anthony C. DeLus, International Soap Box Derby, executive director, $46,736.
Jon Butler, Pop Warner Football executive director, $28,846.
I fired up my laptop, pointed my browser at Guidestar, the repository on the Web for all things pertaining to non-profit organizations, and started searching. After a few hours reviewing tax filings and disclosure forms, these are the 10 highest paid executives I found in youth sports organizations.
Caveats:
This isn't close to a definitive survey. Please write if you know of others who should make the list.
It doesn't include benefits and deferred compensation. (In the case of Little League's Keener, more than $30,000 in the year I reviewed).
Most important, I'm looking only at non-profits. Add for-profit companies and of course the list would be wall-to-wall executives squeezing dollars out of youth sports for Nike, Adidas, ESPN and the other kids and sports corporate behemoths.
With those qualifications, here's the top 10. The salary figures are from the organizations' most recent available tax filings - sometimes two to three years ago.
1. Stephen A. Hamblin, American Junior Golf Association executive director, $328,941.
2. Stephen Keener, Little League Baseball president and CEO, $197,700.
3. Bobby Dodd, Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) president, $190,196
4. Steven Tellefson, Babe Ruth League Baseball, president and CEO $150,242
5. Peter Ripa, American Junior Golf Association, assistant executive director, $137,677.
6. Rosemary Schoellkopf, Babe Ruth League CFO, $133,159.
7. Dave Houseknecht, Little League Baseball CFO, $125,000
8. Joseph Smiegocki, Babe Ruth League Baseball vice president, $120,017
9. Michael Killpack, AAU director of sports, $119,502
10. Robert Faherty, Babe Ruth League Baseball communications, $116,312
The highest-paid youth sports coach I found - again, looking only at non-profits - John Hackworth, United States Soccer Federation youth national team coach, who earned $109,080.
Not everyone is pulling down a six-figure income, to be sure. These modestly paid people were the top earners in their respective youth sports organizations, according to the tax filings.
Hammid Wadood, Snoop Youth Football Foundation administrator, $60,000
Anthony C. DeLus, International Soap Box Derby, executive director, $46,736.
Jon Butler, Pop Warner Football executive director, $28,846.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
ESPN makes its move into high school sports
If you're sick over missing your teenager's game at the high school gym last week, here's a thought. Watch the rerun on ESPN.
Not an option for most of us, of course. But the iconic sports media conglomerate has moved into high school sports coverage in a big and - for those of us concerned about the commercialization of kids sports - slightly unnerving way.
Last month, ESPN announced it's staging what sounds a lot like a national "Final Four" for high school boys and girls basketball. The tournament will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPNU and the title game on ESPN on April 5.
That move follows a two-year stretch in which ESPN has been gobbling up smaller (by definition, compared to ESPN) competitors such HoopGurlz.com, StudentSports.com, RiseMag.com, DyeStat.com (a boys and girls cross-country and track Web site) and the entity now known as ESPN Scouts Inc. All that was prelude to ESPN's big move last August - the launch of a high school sports Web site ESPNRise.com.
For me, the most startling thing about coverage of prep sports is to turn on the TV and see a game being telecast live around the globe, with six cameras, replays, analysis, all the trappings of a pro game on TV, knowing some of these kids are 14 years old. At that age, I would have been mortally embarrassed to drop a pop up in front of six fans. Imagine fouling up in front of a worldwide TV audience. I'm trying, but I can't.
Last year, ESPN networks - ESPN2 and ESPNU - aired 19 high school football games from 15 different states, ending with an Arizona prep game Nov. 7.
For a piece in this week's Sports Business Journal, I spoke with a principal at a high school that played in one of the games. John Graham, principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland told me that he had concerns about how a football game beamed all over the country can shape perceptions. “We want to make it clear, our kids are here to get an education, not play football,” he said “We don’t want football to be more important than it really is. Yet any time you’re showcasing high school athletes on TV, there’s a danger of that.”
On the other hand, Graham said that he was pleased with ESPN's telecast of Good Counsel's game against DeMatha Catholic High School on Oct. 2 (including the final score, a 42-21 victory for Good Counsel).
“The telecast showed the school in a very favorable light,” the principal said.
One of the more surprising things I learned doing this story is what the schools appearing on ESPN are paid for inviting the TV cameras to their football games. Each school receives a rights fee of....$1,000.
Not an option for most of us, of course. But the iconic sports media conglomerate has moved into high school sports coverage in a big and - for those of us concerned about the commercialization of kids sports - slightly unnerving way.
Last month, ESPN announced it's staging what sounds a lot like a national "Final Four" for high school boys and girls basketball. The tournament will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPNU and the title game on ESPN on April 5.
That move follows a two-year stretch in which ESPN has been gobbling up smaller (by definition, compared to ESPN) competitors such HoopGurlz.com, StudentSports.com, RiseMag.com, DyeStat.com (a boys and girls cross-country and track Web site) and the entity now known as ESPN Scouts Inc. All that was prelude to ESPN's big move last August - the launch of a high school sports Web site ESPNRise.com.
For me, the most startling thing about coverage of prep sports is to turn on the TV and see a game being telecast live around the globe, with six cameras, replays, analysis, all the trappings of a pro game on TV, knowing some of these kids are 14 years old. At that age, I would have been mortally embarrassed to drop a pop up in front of six fans. Imagine fouling up in front of a worldwide TV audience. I'm trying, but I can't.
Last year, ESPN networks - ESPN2 and ESPNU - aired 19 high school football games from 15 different states, ending with an Arizona prep game Nov. 7.
For a piece in this week's Sports Business Journal, I spoke with a principal at a high school that played in one of the games. John Graham, principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland told me that he had concerns about how a football game beamed all over the country can shape perceptions. “We want to make it clear, our kids are here to get an education, not play football,” he said “We don’t want football to be more important than it really is. Yet any time you’re showcasing high school athletes on TV, there’s a danger of that.”
On the other hand, Graham said that he was pleased with ESPN's telecast of Good Counsel's game against DeMatha Catholic High School on Oct. 2 (including the final score, a 42-21 victory for Good Counsel).
“The telecast showed the school in a very favorable light,” the principal said.
One of the more surprising things I learned doing this story is what the schools appearing on ESPN are paid for inviting the TV cameras to their football games. Each school receives a rights fee of....$1,000.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Bowl games for middle schoolers
Yesterday's New York Times reported on the inaugural Football University Youth All-American Bowl, a new and sobering concept. It's a national all-star game for seventh and eighth graders.
A New Jersey company, SportsLink Inc., created the game. It put out a call to parents and kids to send in audition tapes, and was buried with nominations - about 2,000, according to the Times. Of that group, an ultra elite squad of 143 middle school phenoms got calls to come to San Antonio - at the players' expense - for Sunday's game.
Among the kid stars: the sons of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey and NBA legend Karl Malone. One 13-year-old picked for the game - who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds - is so big "that he has never been allowed to play organized football." Another is a field-goal kicking whiz. He attended a Pittsburgh Steelers camp and split the uprights from 45 yards.
Thrilling. Except, of course, college coaches and a youth sports expert quoted in the piece stopped well short of calling a national all-star game for kids still living the middle-school life a good idea. Or even a healthy one.
Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly: "It's a slippery slope, and I'm a little bit queasy about it."
Dan Gould, director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State: "What we're worried about here is too much too soon."
No doubt, the promoters of the game were elated with the Times article - skepticism and all - and the national spotlight it is shining on their project. It's the old PR adage: Any publicity is good publicity.
But after reading the article, the voices of concern stick with me. Here's a suggestion. If you doubt the wisdom of a national bowl game for 12-year-olds, complain to the following companies: Russell Athletics, Schutt Sports, Athletic Republic, World Sporting Goods and SI for Kids. Football University lists each as a corporate sponsor.
A New Jersey company, SportsLink Inc., created the game. It put out a call to parents and kids to send in audition tapes, and was buried with nominations - about 2,000, according to the Times. Of that group, an ultra elite squad of 143 middle school phenoms got calls to come to San Antonio - at the players' expense - for Sunday's game.
Among the kid stars: the sons of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey and NBA legend Karl Malone. One 13-year-old picked for the game - who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds - is so big "that he has never been allowed to play organized football." Another is a field-goal kicking whiz. He attended a Pittsburgh Steelers camp and split the uprights from 45 yards.
Thrilling. Except, of course, college coaches and a youth sports expert quoted in the piece stopped well short of calling a national all-star game for kids still living the middle-school life a good idea. Or even a healthy one.
Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly: "It's a slippery slope, and I'm a little bit queasy about it."
Dan Gould, director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State: "What we're worried about here is too much too soon."
No doubt, the promoters of the game were elated with the Times article - skepticism and all - and the national spotlight it is shining on their project. It's the old PR adage: Any publicity is good publicity.
But after reading the article, the voices of concern stick with me. Here's a suggestion. If you doubt the wisdom of a national bowl game for 12-year-olds, complain to the following companies: Russell Athletics, Schutt Sports, Athletic Republic, World Sporting Goods and SI for Kids. Football University lists each as a corporate sponsor.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Youth sports and health effects for adults
Kids who are active, fit, deeply into sports may grow into happier adults. One study finds they aren't healthier. Not in Sweden, anyway. The research appears in the January Pediatrics.
I had dinner last night with a family - great family - that left our New Year's dinner and dashed to a basketball practice - 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., a team for 13 year olds. Practicing until 10 p.m. On January 1.
I had dinner last night with a family - great family - that left our New Year's dinner and dashed to a basketball practice - 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., a team for 13 year olds. Practicing until 10 p.m. On January 1.
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