Parents Speak

Olympic Impact and Online Coverage

EastBaySports.Com Staff

The Olympics are over, and EastBaySports.Com is just starting. To get over the hurdles, we are approaching the most touchy subject, while we wonder about the most inspiring. At a recent soccer practice, we sat down with some of the parents and asked them about the issues of featuring kids on a website in a sports context. To keep things from getting too serious, we also asked them whether this year's Olympic coverage had any lasting impact on their future stars.

Here's what we found out:

Holly Seigler:

"My son would be happy like Flynn to have his picture online! I'd be thrilled!"

She adds:

"No, we haven't seen the Olympics, we've been out of town."

and her son Chase, who plays for the Castro Valley Cougars under 10 soccer team jumps in:

"No I haven't seen the Olympics, but I do have a professional soccer jersey from Chile. I got it from my uncle, whose friend plays for a professional team down there."

Phyllis Lozano states:

"I'd be very excited to see my child online in a sports context. In fact, we already put our kids pictures online and share them with friends and family."

"About the Olympics -- they have been on at the wrong time to inspire my kids -- and they miss them. A couple of years ago, they were associating with the names and saying 'I'm going to be like so and so.' Now, they can't relate."

Rick Lheureux, whose daughter Melissa plays for the Jaugars, an under 10 team, points out that:

"It's good, and its especially good for the kids that are participating - I imagine that its like us from our generation getting to see ourselves on TV."

Re Olympics:

"We've tried to emphasize how well the women have played in the Olympics, but it's been difficult keeping track of the continuity of the games. It's starting to feel a lot more like ESPN sports highlights than the world celebration of sport that it once was."

Now, EastBaySports.Com knows there are two sides to any story, and in order to get both sides of the children online issue, we went to google.com and searched for

"privacy issues with kids online"

We found Larry Madig's site safekids.com, and links to http://www.truste.org/users/users_parents_teacher_guide.html, both of which proved useful. In particular, parents should be aware of The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which specifies rules that a site targeted at children must follow. In particular, a website directed at kids under 13 must provide easy access to a privacy statement that states such things as what information is being collected, how the website will use the personal information it collects, where to contact someone who can answer any questions that you may have. It also states that Websites must get verifiable parental consent before gathering or using, or giving out a child's personal information. Websites must notify parents if they change how personally identifiable information is gathered and used, and parents must be given access to personal information that the website has collected about their children. And finally, websites must at any time allow parents to take away consent and delete the site's information about their children.

At EastBaySports.Com, we've been sensitive to these issues and have had a privacy statement since the beginning that emphasizes that "sports are cool", and that community reaction has been extremely positive. We also state that we will immediately remove any material that parents, or featured athletes find offensive. In a news context, we also understand that there are certain privileges given to the press that allow for reporting. We feel that community sports is news, and will continue to report on it through photo essays, and now increased traditional content. We will try to balance that freedom, and responsibility, with our understanding of the issues of the online world.

As we move forward in our development of EastBaySports.Com, we want to hear from you - your perspective, your praise, and your concern. So please write us, and tell us what you think - about these issues, as well as other issues that effect our community of sports!

Send your ideas and opinions to editors@eastbaysports.com.

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