Meagan Frank - Author

Do you want to be a part of the Choosing to Grow: For the Sport of It book?  Do you have a lot of stories and insight to share? 

Take the online survey to see if this is a topic in which you might be interested. I would love to include you in one of the upcoming huddles. 

Click on the registration link below to see when the upcoming huddles are forming near you.  If you do not see a date or location that will work for you, and you are interested in hosting a huddle yourself, send me an email and we'll get something scheduled.

choosingtogrow@meaganfrank.com

Choosing to Grow: Making a conscious decision to learn about and to grow through an aspect or a phase of life.

For the Sport of It :  Investigating the big picture of sports in order to better understand my own sports story. I want to effectively navigate the youth sports landscape for our kids, and I want to do what I can to make the sports experience better for everyone.

Our family is a sporting family. There are six athletes in our house: three kids, two coaches, and an energetic, ten-pound chiweenie. Of all the time I have spent involved in teams as a player, as a coach, as the wife of a coach and as a parent, I have not taken enough time to consciously study or learn about why I do the things I do...why I feel the way I feel...and whether it matters what other people do and feel while at a sporting event.

The time has come...I am Choosing to Grow: For the Sport of It.

How did I get to this point?

I played sports for twenty years. I played soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball. I ran track, did gymnastics and swam on a swim team. If there was a football game at recess or a tag game at the park... you could find me there.

Basketball and soccer eventually drew me in. I became most attracted to the complexity and challenge of team sports, playing both sports up through college.

Colorado College offered division I soccer and division III basketball.  I lettered in both and was the captain of the soccer team my senior year.

My experience includes coaching for a competitive soccer club as the skills coordinator and also as the head coach for both a  U-15 and a U-17 premier team. I coached the UW-Stout women's soccer team for five years, and I have coached a number of youth teams as a volunteer parent. 

My husband's coaching home is on the ice at UW-River Falls, and my role as the coach's wife affords me an entirely new perspective.

All three of our children have settled into playing both soccer and hockey. Shocking, right?!? At any rate, they are at the ages where it feels as though sports could potentially take over our ilves...if we let them.

I love the sporting lifestyle, and through the variety of experiences I've had, I have seen all different parts of what it is to be involved. There are plenty of reasons why I support and encourage our kids to play team sports.  There are reasons why being part of a team can be difficult, but the value of what team competition can offer far outweighs the potential difficulties. I'm not sure there is as much positive celebration about youth team sports as there should be.

WHAT I HOPE TO UNCOVER WITH THIS CTG PROJECT:

What is the current feeling around youth team sports? Do people really feel the way they sound like they feel on the sidelines?

Do people generally feel positive about where youth team sports are headed?

If not...what are some ways to combat the negativity and empower parents to be the engine for something better?

What do parents of athletes need to know about the physical, psychological, emotional and intellectual components of youth team sports?

I have no intention of eliminating all of the negative aspects of the youth sports climate. If I set out with that goal, I would never achieve it. My goal instead is to gain a perspective I do not yet have, and to start a movement of change by educating people with the information they need to make things better.

If you are interested in joining the CTG movement, please email me at choosingtogrow@meaganfrank.com.