True-Sport-Report

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Figure 3: “Really Important” When Playing Sport (Based on children ages 8-17 who play sport) Having fun Doing my best Being with my friends Improving my skills for the game Being healthy Performing well Something good to do after school/on weekends Feel good about my self/builds my self-esteem Learning about myself Challenging my body Challenging my mind Learning valuable lessons about life Winning Making my parents happy Helps control my weight 30% 25% 28% 19% 51% 50% 45% 49% 51% 41% 56% 40% 50% 40% 36% 37% 34% 37% 52% 68% 66% 73% 86% 82% 83% 92% 82% 93% General population children ages 8-17 (n=2,219) NGB children ages 8-17 (n=643) Q: How important are each of the following when you play sports? competence; and enjoyment. Research by the Tucker Center at the University of Minnesota found that girls play sport not only for competitive reasons but also to get in shape, socialize with friends, develop physical skills, and have fun. 55,74 Numerous studies show that having fun is the prevalent reason girls give for playing sport. 55,75 But like boys, when sport is no longer fun, girls stop playing. 44 The quality of our engagement in sport influences our sense of fun. Several researchers have tried to get behind this concept of fun. Just what does it mean? Some studies have linked the concept of fun to developing a sense of competency, becoming socially involved, building friendships, receiving psychosocial support, and feeling mastery over one’s body. 76,77 What is considered fun also can change as we develop. McCarthy found that younger children associate movement sensations as a source of enjoyment, while older children find enjoyment in the social recognition of competence and the experience of encouragement, excitement, and challenge. 42
Recognizing Child Developmental Stages in Sport Sport can be a critical aspect of childhood development if “taught, organized, managed, and led in a manner consistent with sound developmental principles” (p. 299). 78 Stricker’s 79 insights into sport skill development stress the importance of not pressuring children to compete at levels beyond their developmental capacity. Stricker’s work also emphasizes the fact that children develop skills in a sequential pattern that is unique to them. Development is age related but not age dependent. 80 Cognition, perceptions, behaviors, and motor skills progress at different speeds in children, 37 which means that parents and coaches need to recognize a child’s developmental stage. Both early and late bloomers are found within a given age range, and tremendous growth can occur within a 12-month period. This makes birth date cutoffs for preadolescent teams even more difficult to manage, with some players having significant physical and developmental advantages over others. This relative age effect can have lasting effects. In fact, researchers who study the relative age effect in sport have found that, within a given cohort, individuals who are relatively older tend to be over-represented at elite levels within sport, particularly in hockey, soccer, and baseball. 81 Numerous research studies show that children, even in early adolescence, do not need to be competent in their sport to benefit psychologically from participating in it. 38 Thus, the structure and expectations for the quality of the play should be considered as much as the quantity of play. Some children who are late bloomers never catch up as they lose confidence, playing time, and even roster slots to more developed peers. These early lost opportunities can cause lasting harm. Playing sport is often seen as a determinant of social status and acceptance, especially among boys. 82 Early bloomers benefit from positive reinforcement and encouragement, while the late bloomers might be accused of not trying hard enough— when in fact, they are doing the best that they can. Coakley 83 has studied children in sport and observed that they do not even develop a mature understanding of competition until they reach age 12. Anyone who watches young children play sport has seen the girl in the outfield picking clover, the basketball player running the wrong way with the ball, or all players from both teams chasing a soccer ball in a herd. These behaviors are developmentally normal. Forcing six- and seven-year-olds to hold their positions, work harder, and pay attention is not consistent with their developmental capacity. Getting frustrated with them only makes things worse, because they are unlikely to understand the source of the frustration. Suddenly, this “play” is no longer fun. Team-Up for Youth recommends that schools and communities consider certain options when working with youth of different ages and developmental stages. 43
Page 1 and 2: True Sport: What We Stand to Lose i
Page 3 and 4: Contents Preface ..................
Page 5 and 6: Preface Sport plays a big part in o
Page 7: Values Make Differences Dear USADA,
Page 10 and 11: • overzealous parents; • intole
Page 12 and 13: • Youth tend to drop out of sport
Page 14 and 15: knowledge or the resources needed t
Page 16 and 17: What We Can Do to Achieve True Spor
Page 18 and 19: Which World Do You Want for Sport?
Page 21 and 22: I. Introduction People have been pl
Page 23 and 24: Those who play or have played sport
Page 25 and 26: development; role models and influe
Page 27 and 28: II. The Role of True Sport in Promo
Page 29 and 30: system, and immune system; promotes
Page 31 and 32: 29
Page 33 and 34: III. Psychological and Social Benef
Page 35 and 36: had specific character traits befor
Page 37 and 38: years, research has begun to explor
Page 39 and 40: Sport Alone Does Not Build Characte
Page 41 and 42: Optimizing the Potential Benefits o
Page 43: IV. Why We Play Sport and Why We St
Page 47 and 48: Figure 4: Reasons Why You No Longer
Page 49 and 50: into their sport. Cutting youth fro
Page 51 and 52: Hansen 112 surveyed high school foo
Page 53 and 54: Studies have found that a frequent
Page 55 and 56: V. The Importance of Others in True
Page 57 and 58: The Importance of Coaches and Coach
Page 59 and 60: Studies of Coach Effectiveness Trai
Page 61 and 62: has found that 10- to 16-year-olds
Page 63 and 64: sport behavior. When child athletes
Page 65 and 66: The Influence of Friends and Peers
Page 67 and 68: Professional Athletes Becoming a pr
Page 69 and 70: Creating a Landscape of Possibiliti
Page 71 and 72: VI. Ethics and Values Build True Sp
Page 73 and 74: Figure 8: Perceptions of Values Mos
Page 75 and 76: must-play rules, using smaller play
Page 77 and 78: Figure 9: There Are Sports That Are
Page 79 and 80: Figure 11: “Yes,” I Have Bent o
Page 81 and 82: The Hall of Shame— Doping to Win
Page 83 and 84: VII. Conclusions: What We Can Do to
Page 85 and 86: sport. And if we let the desire to
Page 87 and 88: Communities need to ensure that “
Page 89 and 90: to say “no” to a sport culture
Page 91 and 92: References 1. USADA. What Sport Mea
Page 93 and 94: 37. Weiss WM. Coaching your parents
Page 95 and 96:
81. Baker J, Logan AJ. Developmenta
Page 97 and 98:
126. Black SJ, Weiss MR. The relati
Page 99 and 100:
170. Arthur-Banning S, Wells MS, Ba
Page 101 and 102:
True Sport USA Report Team USADA’
Page 103 and 104:
and science policy. Before moving t
Page 105 and 106:
Sport in the United States Approxim
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True-Sport-Report

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