Category Archives: Trends in Youth Sports

A movie night can be the perfect bonding experience for a youth sports team! Gathering the whole team together to watch a classic film filled with underdog heroes and uplifting themes is just the thing to inspire your players. Of course, not every movie you watch has to have a thoughtful message; sometimes an evening full of belly laughs is just what your team needs. To help you plan the perfect movie night, Rocky Top Sports World has put together a guide to the top five youth sports movies of all time. (more…)

Kids play sports for a variety of reasons: to make friends, to stay active, and, first and foremost, to have fun. Unfortunately, the presence of a bully on a team has the potential to overshadow all of the best parts of playing youth sports. According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports, one in seven children in grades K – 12 is a victim of bullying or is a bully themselves. The group dynamics of a sports team can make young athletes especially susceptible to bullying. (more…)

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we consider the Super Bowl to be an unofficial national holiday! Much like Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl brings people together for a night of friends, family, food, and fun. (more…)

It’s no secret that playing youth sports comes with its fair share of expenses. Between the cost of equipment, team dues, and traveling, money spent on children’s athletics can add up quickly. Fortunately, there are a number of tips and tricks parents can employ to stay under budget. Rocky Top Sports World has put together five of our favorite strategies for saving money on youth sports. (more…)

If you’re anything like the parents who come to Rocky Top Sports World, you probably love taking pictures of your kids playing sports! Having some high-quality photos of your young athlete can be great for sharing with relatives, making scrapbooks, and enhancing your Christmas cards. Of course, your kids will also love seeing what they look like in action! (more…)

Nothing ruins a youth sports season like an injury. Missing games or sitting on the sidelines is decidedly less fun than being on the field. Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures that young athletes can take to reduce the risk of injury. To help you stay happy and healthy, Rocky Top Sports World has put together seven helpful tips for preventing youth sports injuries. (more…)

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we are witnessing firsthand one of the nation’s fastest-growing travel trends: the tourna-cation. Families from all across America are increasingly combining their vacations with their children’s travel sports events. The rise of these so-called tourna-cations has made youth sports tourism a $9 billion industry! (more…)

The prospect of playing sports at the collegiate level is very exciting for young athletes. Earning a spot on a university’s roster can come with an enormous sense of pride, financial aid or scholarships, and even the opportunity to play professionally one day. When it comes to getting recruited, however, being a great player isn’t always enough. The athletes with the best chance of being chosen for a college sports team have a strategy for the recruitment process. To help you prepare for the school year, Rocky Top Sports World has put together four tips for getting recruited. (more…)

As with any hobby, participating in youth athletics comes with a number of expenses. Whether you need to pay for uniforms, equipment, a bus, or something else, it helps to have some cash coming into your team’s treasury. Fortunately, there are many great fundraising activities and events that can generate money for your school or club. Rocky Top Sports World has put together a guide to four of our favorite fundraising ideas for youth sports teams. (more…)

Flexibility is one of the most important qualities for young athletes to develop. When we talk about flexibility, we’re referring to two things: the range of motion for a joint and the ability of muscles surrounding a joint to lengthen during movement. Whether you play football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, or another sport, being flexible is essential for success. To help you make the most of your workout, we have put together a guide to five of the best flexibility exercises for young athletes. (more…)