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?