Written by Participation in sports from an early age can offer many developmental advantages for those who are given the opportunity. Some benefits include higher levels of self-esteem and confidence (Eime & Young, 2013). Additionally, youth involved in sports typically report lower levels of depression and anxiety as compared with individuals not participating in sports, in addition to the better health outcomes associated with early sports participation (Pluhar et al., 2019).
Despite the many benefits of participating in sports from a young age, societal barriers often prevent youth participation in sports. Firstly, there is the financial burden necessary for enrolling youngsters in youth sports programs on parents and family members, in addition to a large time commitment that can seep into academic time (van Leeuwen et al., 2023). Additionally, for parents who are not aware of children’s sports programming, there is the issue of a focus on competition rather than youth development.
Many of these barriers can be addressed by reforming youth sports.
Financial Burden:
Given the many social and health-related benefits of participating in sports from a young age, schools can focus on adopting a donation-based approach to sports. Relying on donations or board funding increases students’ opportunities to participate in sports without burdening parents with financial struggles. Donations can be put aside for the school’s athletic department to fund the participation of low-income students in school-associated sports clubs.
Furthermore, private clubs can find ways to minimize participation fees. Studies have shown that parents from low-income families are unaware of fee assistance programs, while others may be aware but face barriers to accessing them (van Leeuwen et al., 2023). These barriers include understanding the requirements for assistance (van Leeuwen et al., 2023). To mitigate these issues, sports club organizations can assist parents from low-income families to help them navigate the fee assistance application process, enabling children from lower-income families to participate in sports.
Focus on Competition:
Shifting the focus of youth sports from a competition-readiness approach to a focus on skill development could make sports more accessible. Sports participation can positively impact youth by providing many developmental benefits. By shifting the focus of sports participation to help foster the development of these skills, youth looking to begin participating may feel more welcome in these sporting communities.
By shifting the coaching staff’s focus from winning to promoting personal growth in their players, sports participation can positively impact the youth participating (Michigan State University, 2012). Studies have shown that teams where coaches emphasize the existence of supportive, caring environments where kids feel cared about are more likely to benefit from participating in sports (Michigan State University, 2012). Specifically, these teams promote good communication, teamwork, leadership, and emotional control, which can enhance player ability (Michigan State University, 2012). With a focus on skill development, sports organizations can promote increased participation.
Participating in sports from a young age can improve youth development. Thus, emphasizing kids’ enrolment in sports is needed to enable youth from underserved communities to reap the benefits of athletic participation. By providing more accessible fee assistance programs and shifting the focus from a winning mindset to an emphasis on development, participation in sports can be further improved.
References:
Eime RM, Young JA, Harvey JT, Charity MJ, Payne WR. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of sports participation for children and adolescents: informing the development of a conceptual model of health through sport. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act., 10(1):98. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-98
Michigan State University. (2012, February 9). Focus on self-improvement, rather than winning, benefits young athletes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 29, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172922.htm
Pluhar, E., McCracken, C., Griffith, K. L., Christino, M. A., Sugimoto, D., & Meehan, W. P. (2019). Team Sport Athletes May Be Less Likely To Suffer Anxiety or Depression than Individual Sport Athletes. Journal of sports science & medicine, 18(3), 490–496.
van Leeuwen, L., Ruiter, A., Visser, K., Lesscher, H. M. B., & Jonker, M. (2023). Acquiring Financial Support for Children’s Sports Participation: Co-Creating a Socially Safe Environment for Parents from Low-Income Families. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 10(5), 872. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10050872