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Westfield Youth Sports is the founding community organization for Well Played Hamilton County — a countywide effort to make sure every child has a great sports experience. A big part of that is simple: asking families and athletes how it’s actually going, and doing something with what we hear. Here’s what that looks like, and what it means for you.
The Basics:
What is Well Played Hamilton County?
It’s a community commitment to keep listening, learning, and improving so every athlete gets a good experience. Westfield Youth Sports is the first organization in the county to launch it, with more expected to follow.
Who is SWP?
SWP is the partner organization that provides the listening tool and handles the research side — designing the questions, collecting responses securely, and turning them into insights our leadership can act on. They work with governing bodies and sports organizations nationally on athlete experience and safety.
What are we actually being asked to do?
Twice this fall, you’ll get a short set of questions we call a reflection — a few minutes on how the season is going for your athlete and your family.
- September 10–17: Culture & Development. The athlete experience, skill development, the coaching environment, and team culture.
- September 24–October 1: Safety & Wellness. Physical wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, psychological safety, and overall wellness.
You’ll get a link by email through League Apps. That’s it.
Why We’re Asking:
Is something wrong? Did something happen?
No. This isn’t a response to a problem. Most of what happens in youth sports is good, and right now nobody is measuring that either. We’d rather build the habit of asking while things are going well than wait until we have a reason to.
Our season is going great. Why does my feedback matter?
Because that’s exactly the information we’re missing. Knowing what’s working — which age groups, which practices, which parts of the experience — is how we protect it and repeat it. Programs usually only hear from families at the extremes: when someone is thrilled or when someone is upset. The middle is where most of the useful information lives.
How does this actually change anything?
Responses are combined across hundreds of families and turned into a picture of the season that leadership can act on. That might mean adjusting practice structure for a specific age group, changing how we communicate with families, adding support for coaches in a particular area, or rethinking scheduling. Real changes, at the program level.
Is this a way to evaluate or grade coaches?
No. This is not a coach evaluation tool and it is not used for coach discipline or retention decisions. It’s designed to support coaches by showing the organization where coaches need more help — better training, clearer expectations, more support at a particular age level. Coaches were part of the conversation before we launched this.
What if my athlete’s experience hasn’t been good?
Then we especially want to hear it. Honest feedback is more useful to us than polite feedback, and nothing you or your athlete says will affect playing time, team placement, or how your family is treated. If something needs immediate attention, please also use the direct contact below — the reflections are for improving the program over time, not for urgent issues.
Privacy:
Is our feedback anonymous?
Individual responses are confidential. Westfield Youth Sports leadership sees results grouped and summarized — by sport, by age group, by season — never as “here’s what the Johnson family said.” Response groups are large enough that individual families can’t be picked out of them.
Will my child’s coach see their answers?
No. Coaches do not receive individual responses. Coaches and the organization may see summary results for their sport or program once enough responses have come in.
What information do you collect about my child?
Only what’s needed to make the results meaningful: sport, age group or grade, and season. We are not asking for anything beyond that, and there are no questions asking your child to identify other people by name.
Is our data sold or shared?
Your family’s individual responses are never sold and are never shared with third parties in identifiable form. De-identified, aggregated findings — the kind of statistics that describe a whole population and cannot be traced to any individual — are used in research and reporting on youth sports nationally. That aggregated research is part of how the initiative is funded and how it makes the case for change beyond Hamilton County.
What if my child writes something concerning in a response?
SWP’s model is built around hearing children’s experiences safely. If a response indicates a child may be at risk, it’s escalated through a defined safeguarding process rather than sitting in a spreadsheet.
Important: these reflections are not an emergency reporting channel. If you have an urgent safety concern about any child, email communications@westfieldyouthsports.org, and contact local authorities if a child is in immediate danger.
What Participation Looks Like:
Who fills it out — me or my athlete?
Both, in most cases. Parents get a parent version. Age-appropriate athlete questions are used for older athletes, and parents can sit with their child while they answer.
How long does it take?
A few minutes. Short by design — we’d rather ask a little twice than ask a lot once.
How often will we get these?
Twice this fall, on the dates above. We will not be emailing you every week.
Is participation required?
No. It’s voluntary, and choosing not to participate has no effect on your athlete’s playing time, placement, or standing. We’re hoping for 350 responses this fall, so every family who takes part genuinely moves the needle.
My child plays more than one sport. Do we get multiple emails?
Yes. You will receive an email for each sport division your child participates in. Each feedback set is specific to the team from which you will receive it.
My athlete is young. Should they answer on their own?
Parents are encouraged to participate. Where athlete questions are used, they’re written for that age, and there’s no problem with a parent reading them aloud or answering together.
After the Season:
Will we hear what came of it?
Yes. We’ll share community updates on what families told us and what Westfield is doing in response. Asking without reporting back would defeat the purpose.
What if we give feedback and nothing changes?
Fair concern. That’s why we’re committing to publishing what we heard — including the parts that aren’t flattering — and what we’re changing because of it.
Questions?
Email: communications@westfieldyouthsports.org
Every child deserves a great sports experience. Thank you for helping us build one.