THE PLAYSTRONG YOUTH SPORT STANDARD

Most clubs say the right things at the start of the season

The standard is what happens when nobody's watching. When a child only gets five minutes in the last game and nobody asks why. When a parent asks a coach a question and is labelled difficult. When the team that's winning gets left to do what they want because the results are good.
This standard names what good looks like. It's free to adopt. It belongs to the club that uses it.

THE PLAYSTRONG YOUTH SPORT STANDARD

Treat every child the way you would want to be treated.

WHAT IT COVERS

Seven areas. Each one has a named standard, what good practice looks like, and what falls below it.
1. Children are the priority
2. Adults set the tone
3. Communication is honest and timely
4. Opportunity is fair across time
5. Development is genuine, not cosmetic
6. Fair questions are safe to ask
7. The club owns the standard

• Download the Standard

WHO'S IT FOR

Clubs that want a working benchmark, not a policy document.
It was built for grassroots youth sport — football, rugby, GAA, hockey, cricket, athletics. Any sport where children are selected, developed, and expected to keep turning up regardless of whether they're being developed fairly.
It's free to adopt, adapt, and share.

HOW TO USE IT

Print it. Put it in your committee folder. Read it at the start of the season with your coaches.
Or use it as a parent. Three questions you can ask any club:
Is my child in performance or development?
What is selection based on at this age?
What does fair opportunity look like here?
The club's answer — what they say, how they say it, how fast they say it — tells you almost everything you need to know.