The Abridged version:
- Multiple studies and experts link physical activity to a trove of mental benefits for health and well-being. At the same time, an increasingly intense youth sports culture has led to greater stress and burnout among young players.
- California first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom addressed this contrast Friday during the fourth annual “Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind” event in Sacramento.
- She encouraged parents to let their children try a variety of activities and to prioritize the fun in play.
For many young athletes, to play is to have fun. The rewards of physical activity are numerous, for the body and mind.
But competition can also breed stress that leads to burnout.
Navigating the deep pros and tricky cons of youth sports, especially in an atmosphere that many parents and players say is growing more intense, is a conundrum for families across the region and state.
That includes the governor’s family.
“No one really teaches you how to be the best parent and how to do a lot of this,” said Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s first partner. “You kind of learn by trial and error.”
Giving space to try multiple sports
A mother of four, part of Siebel Newsom’s approach is recognizing each child’s individuality and giving them room to explore.
“Each child has a different personality and a different temperament and a different passion for different activities,” she said.
Siebel Newsom said she isn’t a fan of pushing kids to specialize, or focus on one sport too soon. She sees an advantage to being on multiple teams or trying a variety of activities before hitting teenage years.
But, she said, that’s not to begrudge having dreams at an early age.
“My son is obsessed with basketball. He’s decided that he wants to play for the Sacramento Kings,” Siebel Newsom said of her second oldest child, Hunter. “He is going places, and I cannot slow that down.”
Changing youth sports culture
Siebel Newsom was in Sacramento on Friday as part of her work with the “Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind” campaign. The fourth annual event, hosted at Street Soccer USA’s downtown facility, was one of several coinciding festivities across the state that day.
During her husband’s time as governor, the first partner has been an advocate for youth mental health. The campaign, which Siebel Newsom co-chairs, promotes the positive effects physical activity can have on a young athlete’s well-being.
In her own family, Siebel Newsom said, she sees those benefits firsthand.
“But I also see how much our youth sports culture has changed,” she said to the crowd.
“What was once rooted in joy has increasingly become centered on performance.”
‘Make it fun’
Brooke Braley, a junior at John F. Kennedy High School, has felt that pressure at times throughout her years of playing competitive soccer.
But with the help of recent supportive coaches, Braley said she is “in love with where I’m at.”
“They push us,” she said. “But they also allow us to make mistakes and learn from them.”
“I’m just happy,” she added.
Joy, Siebel Newsom said, should be the baseline when it comes to kids in sports.
“If it’s not joyful, they’re not going to do it,” she said. “So, you’ve got to make it fun.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.