Planning for Success - Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia,

Planning for Success

Situation:

Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, and many other communities have banned soda, candy, and high-sugar snacks from school vending machines. St. Louis has proposed to do the same for its schools. Moreover, a Midwestern recreational sports district wants to take it a step further. It has asked all guardians to stop bringing snacks to the recreational sponsored athletics events. It seems that too many adults are bringing chips, soda, juice, candy, and cookies to the games. It was a unanimous vote by the sevenperson recreation sports board and applies to about 5,000 children who play basketball, baseball, football, soccer, softball, and volleyball. The recreational sport district is trying to change the mindset of the youth who are taught from an early age to associate sport activity with caloric intake. The district would like to change the mindset of the parents related to junk food. The district would like the parents and student-athletes to start thinking more healthy. There will be an attempt to enforce the rule at a recreational sport district events, but parents and guardians worry about depriving their children and youth of a snack after so much running and jumping. One parent indicated the district has worked really hard, and does not see a problem giving kids snacks after a hard fought game. The parent thinks the kids deserve a little reward.

Discussion questions:

As the recreational sport director, you are responsible for developing the procedures for this new policy. How would you go about developing these procedures? Who would go about developing these procedures? Who would you include in this process? How do you intend to enforce this new policy? What if parents and guardians strongly oppose this new policy and the enrollment drops in these sporting events? What are the pros and cons of this new policy? Do you fear for your job if the parents complain too much? How will you persuade the community that this is a good policy?