The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is pleased to work in partnership with the U.S. Army to provide positive, safe youth sports within the Army's Community and Family Support Center’s (CFSC) Child and Youth Services programs. Working with NAYS, the Army is utilizing training and education programs for youth sports coaches, officials administrators and parents; as well as the Start Smart Sports Development program for youngsters on the Garrisons. The partnership underscores the high importance of proper training and education in youth sports.

“It is imperative that we set high standards for the safety and well-being of children in our sports programs, and ensure their physical, cognitive, social and emotional health,” said Donna McGrath, with Army Child and Youth Services. “NAYS programs are in line with this objective, and the quality of training is unparalleled.”

McGrath says the Army was impressed by the characteristics of NAYS programs such as the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) and the Parents Association for Youth Sports (PAYS). “We initially chose NAYS as the provider of training programs because we were pleased with the standards of training in the NYSCA program. It makes certain that coaches are held accountable for their actions and attitude,” McGrath said. “And we have found that parents can get carried away when their children are participating in sports, which obviously isn’t good for the children. The PAYS program helps us to solve that problem.”

NAYS also offers some of the country’s premier sports education and development programs, including Start Smart Sports Development, which the Army is offering on all of its Garrisons. Start Smart programs are opportunities for parents and children to work together to prepare children for sports by teaching them basic motor skills and also sport-specific skills, with the intent of starting children on a lifelong path of health and fitness.

NAYS president and CEO Fred Engh said that through choosing to require NAYS programs on its bases, the U.S. Army is sending a powerful message about the importance of proper training for people who work with children.

“It is more important than ever to make sure that the people who are working with children in sports are educated and prepared for their roles as leaders in these kids’ lives,” Engh said. “With increased instances of violence among adults at youth sports events and negative environments, sports can end up doing more harm than good for some children whose coaches and parents haven’t been properly trained. And that should never happen.”

Engh said he is pleased to work with Army CYS to help children in the unique situation of having one or more active-duty parents to participate in healthy, stable activities. “Sports are important in the overall well-being and development of children, especially for those whose lives can feel unstable and uncertain because they have one or more parents in the military,” he said. “It is imperative that they have a positive, non-violent outlet.”