Fred Engh, president of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association, discusses problems in youth sports, including: win-at-all-costs coaching philosophies, parent involvement, and lack of proper training for volunteers. (CJ)

This review of school playtime literature finds that school play has gained serious recognition only in the last decade; that recognition generally falls into two camps, the romantic view (emphasizing what children learn and enjoy at playtime) and the problematic view (emphasizing issues such as bullying, disruptive behavior, and gender…

Research suggests that after-school programs reduce juvenile crime and risky behavior; increase confidence, academic performance, and social skills; and build positive adult-child and home-school relationships. The need for supervised after-school activities, especially in poor neighborhoods; the characteristics of successful programs; and the…

This report identifies and reviews 34 programs that have been used as after-school programs by schools or communities, including extended-day programs and some supplemental school programs that have potential for after-school use. Five categories of programs are reviewed: (1) language arts after-school programs; (2) study skills programs; (3)…

Empirical research on the role of school recess is reviewed. Effects of child-level and school-level variables on recess behavior and the impact of recess on classroom behavior and social and cognitive competence are discussed. It is concluded that recess has important educational and developmental implications. (SLD)