Parent Checklists by Age
Aspen Institute
Summary
A series of five age-specific checklists designed to help parents support their child’s participation in sports. Each checklist includes 10 key questions that guide families to reflect on enjoyment, readiness, and program fit, from early childhood through the teen years.
HOW AND WHEN IT CAN HELP
- Helps parents of children ages 0–17 assess if, when, and how to introduce or continue sports.
- Supports families whose kids are currently playing to evaluate pressure, coaching, and overall experience.
- Guides conversations about sport enjoyment, identity, and health—especially as children grow.
- Offers a non-technical, values-aligned tool for parents new to organized sports.
- Useful during transitions between seasons, sports, or school levels.
- A resource for community organizations supporting parent education around youth sports.
WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THIS RESOURCE
The checklists are quick, age-appropriate, and built on child-first principles. They encourage thoughtful dialogue rather than rigid decision-making and center kids’ enjoyment, safety, and development. Each one empowers parents to advocate for balanced, healthy sport experiences.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING THIS RESOURCE
- Which checklist best matches your child’s current age and sport experience?
- What’s your child’s attitude toward sport right now—and how has it changed?
- Are local programs aligned with the checklist’s focus on fun, access, and skill development?
- How might you use these questions in a conversation with your child or coach?
- Do you see any pressure to specialize or overtrain—and how could you respond using the checklist as a guide?
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program convenes leaders, facilitates dialogue, and inspires solutions that help sport serve the public interest. Project Play, the program’s flagship youth sports initiative, develops insights, ideas and opportunities to help stakeholders build healthy communities through sports. Learn more at www.ProjectPlay.org.
CREDITING CONTRIBUTORS
The Resource Hub is made possible by the generosity of contributors. It demonstrates the rich expertise and collective team spirit that exists across our soccer community.
All resources that have been contributed to the Resource Hub are free for users of the Hub to learn from, adapt and implement in their own organization and community.
Where relevant, we encourage users of the resources to formally or informally credit the resource creator, to acknowledge their expertise and generosity.