Today I came across a compelling TEDx video on YouTube.  The presenter’s name is John O’Sullivan and his presentation is titled Changing the Game in Youth Sports.

In this video, O’Sullivan makes a touching argument on the need for our culture to change its perspective on youth sports.  He begins with a startling statistic:

Every year about 40 million kids participate in youth sports, yet 70% of those kids drop out and quit by the time their 13 years old.

There are a number of reasons for this dramatic drop out rate for young athletes.  This article in the Washington Post does a good job exploring many of them.  The overarching reason experts say is that by age 13, sports are no longer fun for most kids.

Towards the end of O’Sullivan’s TEDx talk he approaches this “fun” problem with a pretty simple suggestion for parents.  Instead of critiquing your athletes after an event, during the car ride home, or at dinner later in the evening, try something different.  Since these critiques from parents are part of what’s sucking the fun out of sports, it’s best to replace any critique with 5 simple words.

“I Love Watching You Play”

Using these five simple words, O’Sullivan argues, will give your young athletes the freedom to have fun again.  These 5 simple words will release pressure instead of building it with those awkward critique sessions. In addition, as stated by Sullivan, these 5 simple words tell your kids:

Your love for them does not depend on whether they win or lose or how they perform.

Watch the full TEDx video below: