The key to successful youth sports programming is offering choice among programs and opportunities for success in different forms. There are two primary motivations for youth sports participation: development through personal growth and progression along a long-term athlete development model, and community through belonging to a social group. Successful programming caters to these motivations and the four segments they create: high development/high community, high development/low community, low development/high community, and low development/low community. While programming for high development segments is easiest, engaging all families is important as youth sports participation has declined. Mark Messier advocates keeping youth involved at fun levels through reimagined programming that accommodates different paces of development and reasons for participation.

1. www.storyconnect.ca 1
Youth Sports Programming
December 12, 2015
Tom Porter
The key for successful youth sports programming is found by serving the two primary factors that create
opportunity for families and their children: 1) choice among programs, and 2) opportunities for success.
Success appears in many different forms. Fortunately, we can simplify the set of personal motivations
into two different driving forces for participation:
- Development – personal growth. The long-term athlete development model outlines stages for
progress and development. Programming tends to follow LTAD or similar models.
- Community – belonging to a social group. This is frequently acknowledged when kids or a family
joins a club, but is rarely recognized through formal programming.
These two fundamental forces create different segments. There is significant variation in the
programming that needs to be offered to families in these different segments. Successful programming
will offer opportunity within each segment.
Community
High Low
Development
High
Families in this segment are committed
to the game in every way.
 They enjoy participation and want
others to join as well
 Youth in this segment seek
Competition and High Performance
opportunities
 Success is life-long participation
 They are constructive volunteers
Families in this segment are committed to
success for their child.
 They join for individual success
 Parents in this segment seek High
Performance opportunities
 Success is relative to other
participants
 They volunteer, but to protect their
child or to otherwise find advantage
Low
Families in this segment are committed
to soccer and the joy of participation.
 They enjoy participation and want
others to join as well
 Youth in this segment seek
Competition that is appropriate for
their abilities
 Success is life-long participation
 They are constructive volunteers
Families in this segment are interested in
organized and enjoyable activities.
 They enjoy participation
 Youth in this segment seek
Competition that is appropriate for
their abilities
 Success is enjoyable participation and
very low stress
 They are reluctant volunteers

2. www.storyconnect.ca 2
The demand for programming is most easily recognized and served for the high development segments.
These families are motivated to ensure programming fits their needs. Other families are not so
motivated and it is hard to create attractive programming that fits their needs. We need their input.
The urgency for engaging all families is becoming well known as youth sport participation has declined
since the 1990s. Mark Messier is leading one such initiative by engaging families who have not
traditionally been involved in hockey.
The following exchange appeared on the “Tim&Sid” Show (SportsNet - December 9, 2015) about why 9
out of 10 kids in Canada (aged between 6 and 16 years old) do not play hockey.
Question from Sid Seixeiro: “How many talented kids have we lost… for whatever reason... Are we losing
some really good talent…?
Mark Messier: “The early professionalization of all sports – not just hockey – and the fast-tracking
is only catering to the top few percent of the kids who are actually playing. Which is good. We
need that, because there are kids with the physical ability, the emotional ability, they’re ready to
handle the commitment, the resources – financially – in order to play in that environment.
I think that where we need to reimagine and redesign our programs, and give more and better
platforms, are for the kids who aren’t ready – for whatever reason – and to keep them in the
game at a fun level. Whether that’s at the age of 14 where they don’t want to play checking…
they want to play non-check hockey… Find a way to give these kids a great experience in the
game. Reimage what that could be.
I completely agree with you that if we do that, we will have more kids that are coming out of the
other end. And we all have our own friends – I mean I had a friend that didn’t start playing
hockey until he was 16. Played one year of midget and got a scholarship to RPI and went on to
win a national championship and was playing for the Boston Bruins 4/5 years later… There are
kids who develop later on in life… and for all the other reasons… I really believe it’s our
responsibility to figure out ways to keep these kids involved in the game.
And even if they don’t come out the other end and become NHL players, they can still play the
game of hockey for life. Not to mention all of the same lessons that are being taught at the elite
level still need to be taught at the other levels as well. Just because it is not tracking for the
NHL… or for whatever, the same life lessons that we can carry with us should be being taught at
every other platform as well.”
http://www.sportsnet.ca/videos/shows/tim-and-sid-video/
Tom Porter, Ph.D.
Principal Consultant, Boswell&Caine Consulting Services
North American Lead, StoryConnect