GET INVOLVED
The benefits of interscholastic sports most often cited as what kids learn playing sport, after the health benefits of physical activity, are sportsmanship, teamwork, resiliency, and hard work. All of that is true. In 1903, when high school sports started in a formalized environment in New York City Public Schools, those goals, and more, were clearly stated.
What has changed over the last 120 years? Well, almost everything has… except the way sports is delivered to children. The team model used today is basically the same as it was during proliferation high schools and interscholastic sports in the two decades following the turn of the 20th century.
In order to effectuate change, in 2016, GetPsychedSports.org organized and co-chaired a 25-person Remodeling Athletics Committee for Boston Public Schools (BPS). That committee suggested to BPS that Athletics be repositioned from the “Operations” Department to the office of “Health and Wellness” which was accepted (and changed their mission) and accomplished in 2017. Next, the Committee developed a new and exciting mission and vision of athletics that reflected the collaborative values of those participants.
“The mission of Boston Public Schools is to give all students (Grades 6-12) the opportunity to participate in an innovative athletics program that explicitly develops the social-emotional and physical well-being of all athletes. The curriculum for this program is student-centric, culturally responsive, and emphasizes the positive nature of competition.“
Using this as an example, anyone is capable of going to their local school to ask and then fight for change in the way athletics is delivered to our most prized consumer, your child.
How can any educational institution decide that a science specifically designed for athletics, as sport psychology is, should not be taught to students?
And in this particular time, how can we not do everything we can to support our students social and emotional needs by teaching the coping skills they need?
How can you help?
- Learn more about social-emotional learning (SEL) as resource links are added to this website or Google “social emotional learning” and see how the SEL skills mirror most of the findings of sport psychology, a science that has a long history of improving athletic performance;
- Click on “Join Us” to receive up-to-date information on how the movement for change is going?
- When reading about this new plan, we are sure that questions popped into your head, doubts about the proposal, opinions you have formed. Would you share them by writing to us at info@getpsychedsport.org? We want to hear what you have to say? We want your opinion. Your voice matters.
- If you think this is a reform worth pursuing, start sharing that view with others, whether a parent, coach or the Athletic Director at your local high school about this new vision for sport.