Play Like a Champion Today

Notre Dame has always enjoyed a good relationship with sports. Our new Athletic Director, Jack Swarbrick, said on his first day on the job that,

I believe in the academic environment there is no better classroom than the athletic field or court. I've spent a lot of time over the years having the privilege of being around great coaches. And when you talk to the student athletes who have been with those coaches, those who played for Ara, and you say, 'Other than your parent, who most influenced you in your life?' The answer is inevitably that coach.
That is the essence of the educational experience. In collegiate sports now we use the phrase 'student athlete.' Well, the corollary of that is educator coach. That's what the coaches at Notre Dame are. They have an opportunity to shape lives, which is not, as I said, incidental to the mission of this great university. It is one of the most effective ways to realize it.

Under this "Swarbrick Doctrine," sports are not just something to cheer for, or a happy coincidence that ND would have been good at football. Rather, sports are part of the core mission of Notre Dame.

In keeping with this serious focus on sports, Notre Dame has developed a program for youth sports (middle school and younger), called Play Like a Champion Today, that encourages participants not to take sports too seriously. The following explains the problems the program was meant to address:

Why do we need PLC? There is growing unrest around youth sports in our country. Sports that were once seen as enjoyable and nurturing are becoming instead hard work and of questionable developmental value. This affects all people involved in youth sport: athletes, coaches and parents.

There is increasing pressure on young athletes to specialize year round in one sport. These sport programs are becoming increasingly expensive often characterized by high stakes travel teams. There is a great devotion of resources to elite athletes while fewer opportunities exist for all children to play and compete. There is pressure on coaches to put winning above the good of the children – a win at all costs mentality.
Many parents have sky high ambitions for their children and are taking extraordinary measures to advance their child’s athletic career. There are increasing incidents of “parent rage” at all levels of youth sport. Just one story is of the father who was unhappy about his son’s playing time, so he actually pulled a gun on his son’s football coach. This man’s son was 5 years old.

Play Like a Champion began in school year 2006-2007 and is a series of programs for coaches and parents.

• PLC is designed to educate all individuals responsible for ensuring that children have a positive and successful youth sport experience (coaches, parents, & administrators).
• Every aspect of the program is research-based, incorporating the latest research in sports psychology, moral development, and character education.
• Being child-centered, PLC works from the recognition that children are different than adults and a youth sports program should put the children’s needs first.

Several youth sports leagues across the country have been part of the pilot program for PLC, including St. Brigid of Kildare Parish in Columbus, Ohio.

Perhaps our club should make an effort to sponsor members who are coaches to attend one or more of the program's sessions?