Washington Township High School (WTHS) was selected as one of only 11 schools in the county to be part of a new initiative called “Take Back Sports.”
The inaugural initiative is a youth sports movement from ESPN in collaboration with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), Disney and Under Armour that aligns with the back-to-school season. This initiative is focused on providing student-athletes with positive environments, support and reminders in their sports.
Through this program, WTHS is partnering with representatives from PCA who will provide workshops, resources and guides for students, coaches and parents to help make high school athletic experiences more fun and positive, rather than stressful or overly competitive.
A “Take Back Sports” pep rally was held in the high school 11/12 auditorium on August 12. The event was a way to celebrate selection to be involved in the program, as well as serve as the first workshop session for parents and student athletes.
At the start of the rally, recently retired director of athletics and assistant principal Kevin Murphy said WTHS has been partnering with PCA for more than two decades. The national nonprofit provides resources, online courses and workshops for youth sports programs across the country. The organization strives to improve the culture of sports to help make it more fun and supportive.
WTHS’s longstanding partnership with PCA made it an easy choice for the people heading the new initiative to select the school to be part of the “Take Back Sports” program.
“(PCA) is centered on rules of competition and honoring them, honoring your opponents, honoring the officials, honoring your teammates and honoring yourself,” Murphy said at the rally. “To be part of an athletic team is an honor in education-based athletics, but your parents are part of that…our parents are our teammates.”
Krissy Holak, vice president of training at PCA, led the rest of the evening’s interactive presentation, which also included videos of professional athletes and ESPN reporters sharing snippets of their connections and values to sports.
Holak discussed the “Take Back Sports” pledge PCA is encouraging the school and its parents to take moving into the athletic seasons. It helps students, parents and coaches treat each other with respect and encouragement. She wanted students and parents to learn about the other’s perspectives when it came to game days and practices.
Towards the beginning of her presentation, she asked parents to call out what comes to mind when they think of their own sports experience growing up. The loudest and most common word was “fun.”
Then, she asked parents to call out what comes to mind when they think of their child’s sports experience. “Competitive” was the most notable word, and the students agreed.
Since the culture around sports has changed, the new program wants to “take back” the fun of sports, while still fostering healthy competition, teamwork and success.
Another exercise Holak had everyone do was draft a text message. She had students write a message to their parents and listed three things they wish their parents would say or do after they make a mistake in a sporting event. She had parents write three things they think they should say or do to their child in that same situation.
During this discussion, students shared they wanted to still feel loved and supported, not reprimanded, following an event where they probably are already feeling down on themselves. Holak said it is common for parents to question their child, put them down or give unhelpful advice, which usually, is not helpful or meaningful for the student.
“It might just be the tiniest thing (a parent is) suggesting, but (the students) don’t see it as a suggestion,” Holak said. One student described this as “critiquing,” despite if the parent is just trying to help. It can feel like something negative, and PCA wants parents to try to improve on this skill.
Holak offered many examples of ways parents can reframe more negative comments or actions with more positive angles. Whether it be something they are cheering on the sidelines or discussing with their child at home, there are ways parents can learn to be a teammate to their child and their coaches, rather than be another opponent.
Through the “Take Back Sports” program, PCA will remain involved with WTHS throughout the school year. After this initial hour-long parent workshop, a fall coaches workshop was hosted on August 24. More workshops, presentations and online resources will be available for everyone involved in WTHS athletics.
Additionally, all parents, coaches and students who participate will be granted access to worksheets, presentations and further resources, so they always have the positive information and skills to refer back to. To learn more about the program and take the pledge, visit www.positivecoach.org/take-back-sports.
Scan the QR code to learn more about the Take Back Sports initiative.
