The ultra-competitive approach followed determinedly by many coaches and parents is causing more and more children to slip through the cracks and out of extracurricular sports.

Thus, a new initiative is being pushed forward across the province entitled "Children in Sport," which is intended to make sports more enjoyable and tone down their competitive aspect.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Sask Sport. A seminar was held at the Weyburn Comp last Wednesday evening to discuss the new initiative, but there were not enough people in attendance to warrant continuing the seminar.

Southeast Saskatchewan Association for Culture, Recreation and Sport (SESACRS) regional co-ordinator Bob King said he did not know why few people had any interest in the program, except that Sask Sport has known it would be a "tough sell" when they first started promoting the program.

"They knew very well it's going to be a struggle," he said.

As part of the program, parents are encouraged to allow their children more freedom in sport, as well as refraining from pushing them to competitive extremes.

Also, each area in Saskatchewan will be provided a special manual of different exercises coaches of virtually any sport can utilize in training his or her players.

While many of the exercises may not be related to the particular sport the coach is teaching, King said the exercises are both fun and also intended to sharpen a wide range of skills; it is also being found that, especially in very young players, kids are being trained to develop certain manipulative skills related to their sport, but nothing else.

An early starter in baseball, for example, may have excellent hand-eye co-ordination, but loses out on long-distance running.

This is the point where coaches and parents butt heads with Sask Sport, as they believe kids who are there to play a sport should only be taught things related to that sport.

But King said it is necessary for coaches and parents to accept the new initiative. "We're turning off too many kids," he said. "We have to do something about it."

A video was also slated to be shown at Wednesday's presentation featuring Olympic medalist Joan McCusker as the narrator. In the video, McCusker outlines tips for parents in involving themselves with their children's lives, as well as stressing the point that sports should be fun above all else.

This video was developed by Sask Sport after a comprehensive search for a video promoting these principles could not be found; the only exception was a minor league baseball training video out of Florida, said King, which was considered inappropriate for a Saskatchewan audience due to our diverse population and lack of palm trees.

King said he is willing to bring the video to any group who wants to watch it, or supply a copy of the video.

He also has copies of a special parent's resource guide for those with children in minor sports, containing a few helpful hints in what role they should play in their children' extracurricular activities.