I have a question for community members. How do you handle submissions that are for youth sports organizations? I received a nomination on review for a youth soccer/football club. I went to their website and they are only a youth club. No adult teams no adult training or classes.
Personally, I think of this much like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, or other physical locations that are dedicated to only youth activities. However, I also see many baseball complexes, where only youth baseball or softball teams play, so they are dedicated to youth sports only, but are often approved and in the games. In fact, I’ve approved many.
So, do I reject because this truly is a place dedicated to youth activities with no adult activities? Or, do I accept because other similar places are widely accepted? Thoughts anyone?
Edit, just know this is actually a building where youth sports training and events take place. No other activities take place in this building.
If it is for youth to be dropped off under other’s care and their parents or guardians don’t remain with them, I reject as school. If it is center where parents can or must remain, I accept. Outdoor fields seem acceptable to me, whereas indoor youth training programs do not.
Wow, generic answers are hard. I kept thinking of exceptions.
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I agree, I kept thinking of exceptions too, but I like the reasoning around if parents are supposed to stay or children are left under the supervision of others. That makes sense to me.
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We have an indoor soccer complex where I live that is mainly for one of the youth soccer clubs to do indoor training. However, they do have tournaments there from time to time, and so there are people of all ages there during these. It can also be rented out for events, such as birthday parties.
With youth sports, parents/guardians might just drop the kids off, but many times there are other parents/guardians that stick around. Some clubs may even ask the parents/guardians to volunteer time to help out at practice/training, such as making snacks and drinks, setting up and taking down tables/chairs, collecting equipment, etc. Some of the parents might even be the coaches, as was the case for me growing up.
I think youth sports complexes, especially those indoors, fall within some grey areas with criteria. I think it’s always best to do your research on them before nominating and/or reviewing.
I’m very open to sports facilities that host youth sports, like baseball fields or football fields. Typically those are open for anyone to come watch games.
For youth training “camps” or businesses focused on intensely teaching kids the skills of a particular sport, I’m much less open to those. For me, those are similar to dance studios that only have under aged classes. But if I can find that any of those training camps follow their clients up into college, maybe even with an eye on helping them get to the Olympics or professional level, I would lean back towards acceptance.
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I can tell you that many youth dance studies allow the parents to stick around during practice, and this one parent I know is the dad, so it was a little odd being the only dad there.
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