Sixth-Grade Basketball Schedule Draws Radio Debate

A sixth-grade girls basketball team at Indian Creek practices five days a week for 90 minutes each session, right after school. Producer Ethan and Heather coach the group. The schedule became the subject of debate on the Home & Garden Show on 93.1 WIBC.

On the program, one host said the schedule seemed excessive and another guessed the parents were not pleased with it. Terri Stacy leaned toward Ethan's approach, pointing out that high school teams practice daily and that competition runs deep. Another host surveyed the young people who come in to work, many of them from Chatard and Cathedral, and their answer for sixth graders was two or three days a week. Ethan said the season had started that Monday, so it was too soon to judge the results.

The group on the program agreed youth sports need more volunteers like Ethan and Heather, who coach without children on the roster. One host said coaches are hard to come by, and referees are just as scarce. Another host, who coached youth football with a son on the team, said parent coaches can make it work but carry more emotional attachment to the outcomes.

The Home & Garden Show airs on 93.1 WIBC.

Families looking for guidance on youth sports practice can turn to the Aspen Institute's Project Play, which offers research on the subject.