Over the past two decades, the growth of youth sports has reflected the popularity of professional sports in our society. To a foreign observer of American culture we seem like a sports-obsessed society. Sports events and news are available to us 24 hours a day on television and radio; sports is a huge industry. In 1995 it was established that the sports industry generated a turnover of 85 billion dollars. It is estimated that by 2005 the sports industry will be worth more than $150 billion, becoming one of the top ten industries in the United States (Murphy 32). The extraordinary popularity of the sports industry has had a profound effect on young sports organizations. Recent surveys estimate the number of children participating in various team sports at around 20 million. However, critics estimate that as many as 73% abandon the sport before the age of thirteen. Most children drop out of school before middle school because sports are no longer fun for them. There are several factors that contribute to this phenomenon, parents and coaches putting excessive pressure on children, excessive competitiveness, anxiety and simple loss of interest. Children start playing sports at a young age and it is usually the parent who decides which sport the child will play. play. Parents are often very involved in their children's sports. Parents purchase the team's trophies, uniforms and equipment and transport their children to and from games and practices. Most children enjoy this time they spend with family and friends. Little importance is given to competition and all children have an equal chance to participate. They are able to "play" with their friends outside of the school environment and simply have fun, which in turn keeps children interested and involved in their sport. As children grow, they rise to a higher level in their sport, for example, from T - ball, to little league. During this time the pressure to succeed begins to increase. Parents and coaches often become more involved with the game than with their children, attention begins to focus on the most "talented" players on the team, and competition and "who wins" takes precedence over fun. In his book The Cheers and the Tears, sports psychologist Shane Murphy Ph.D., states that "One of the ways that many traditional youth sports programs fail to meet the needs of children is by introducing too much competition too soon..