Youth Sport Coaching: Development, Approaches, and Educational Needs

Research in Youth Sports:

Critical Issues Status*

White Paper Summaries of the Existing Literature

11-01-04

Ryan Hedstrom & Daniel Gould

Institute for the Study of Youth Sports

College of Education

Department of Kinesiology

Michigan State University

Room 210 IM Sports Circle

East Lansing, MI 48824-1049

517-432-0175 (phone)

517-353-5363 (fax)

[email protected]

* A project conducted for the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, Kansas City, Mo.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Contents

Overview................................................................................................................................3

The Benefits of Youth Sport Participation.............................................................................4

Youth Sport Coaching: Development, Approaches, and Educational Needs........................9

Health and Safety in Youth Sports: Injury Risk and Obesity................................................15

Youth Sports: Involvement, Participation, and Dropout .......................................................21

The Role of Parents in Children’s Sports ..............................................................................26

Youth Sports: Talent Development and Sports Specialization..............................................34

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Overview

In the United States youth sports is a highly popular activity that is assumed to

have important physical, psychological and social development consequences for those

millions of children and youth involved. Moreover, given the contemporary epidemic of

inactivity and obesity in American children, youth sports is thought to play a major role

in improving children’s health and welfare for years to come.

Despite these perceived benefits, contemporary youth sports has its critics that see

this highly popular children’s activity as plagued by major problems. Concerns have been

voiced regarding the highly competitive nature of youth sports and it is often argued that

young athletes become injured or burnout as a result of excessive stress and pressure.

Still others are thought to learn inappropriate behaviors such as aggression or poor

sportspersonship from their involvement.

One problem facing youth sport leaders and policy makers is a lack of

understanding relative to the scientific knowledge on children involved in sport and

physical activity that has evolved over the last 30 years. Thus, current practices and

policies are formed without any contribution from the sport science community.

Recognizing this state of the affairs, the Citizenship Through Sport Alliance (CTSA)

commissioned the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University to

review the scientific literature on critical issues in youth sports and to write summary

white papers on the various topics. These white papers are not intended to be in-depth

reviews of the literature in the area. Rather, the charge was to review the literature on

selected key issues and identify major findings that could be used to inform CTSA

members in forming policies and spearheading projects in this important area. This

document is the result of this effort.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

The Benefits of Youth Sport Participation

With so many youth participating in sports, either in school or agency-sponsored

programs, it is important to examine the possible benefits of this involvement. The

benefits and detriments of youth sport participation have been a topic of debate within the

research and policy literature, however, numerous benefits have been identified. For

instance, Seefeldt, Ewing, and Walk (1992) have identified the following possible

benefits associated with competition:

• Learning physical skills. Young athletes learn both fundamental motor skills

(e.g., running, jumping and hopping) and sport-specific skills (e.g., how to putt a

golf ball or shoot a jump shot in basketball) that allow them to stay active.

• Appreciation of fitness. Two of the motives for participation identified by

children is “to get exercise” and “stay in shape” (Ewing & Seefeldt; 1989);

participating in sports offers this benefit.

• Sense of belonging. Another strong motive of participation is social interaction.

Sports can provide peer interaction through both teammates and healthy

competition (see Weiss & Stuntz, 2004 for a review of the literature).

• Acquiring sport skills for leisure. Learning the fundamental motor skills through

sport (e.g., proprioception, coordination) can aid in skill development, but can

also be transferred to other sports and leisure activities, promoting increased

participation and involvement.

In a review of current trends and literature in youth sport, Malina and Cumming (2003)

outlined other possible benefits of participation:

• Growth and maturation effects

• Regular physical activity leading to increased fitness

• Self-concept or self-worth effects

• Social competence

• Moral development

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Of this list, the benefit of moral development has been most debated. Researchers

have questioned the notion that “sports builds character” as an automatic by-product of

sport participation (Coakley, 2004; Weiss & Smith, 2002). Rather, character must be

specifically “taught” versus “caught” (Hodge, 1989). Moreover, research has

demonstrated that when fair play, sportsmanship and moral development information is

systematically and consistently taught to children in sport and physical education settings,

character can be enhanced (Bredemeier, Weiss, Shields, & Shewchuk, 1986; Gibbins,

Ebbeck, & Weiss, 1995).

Broader than the moral development literature is the recent focus on teaching

underserved youth life skills through after school physical activity programs. For

example, Hellison (1995) has developed and tested a model for teaching youth social-

emotional skills such as responsibility in after-school activity programs for underserved

youth. After a recent review of this research, Hellison and Walsh (2002) concluded that

while none of the studies contained sufficient controls to permit generalizations, evidence

provides some support for the utility of teaching responsibility (e.g., respect for the rights

of others, effort and teamwork, self-direction and goal setting, and leadership) to youth

through means like awareness talks, group meetings, and reflection time. It is important

to note, however, that these programs were not typical youth sports programs. Rather,

they were specially designed after-school “life skill training” programs for underserved

youth.

Youth development experts outside of the sports sciences have also begun to

study how participation in sport and other leisure time activities influence youth

development. Larson (2000), for instance, has suggested that extracurricular and

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

community-based after school activities foster motivation and intense concentration in

adolescents. For these reasons, it has been suggested that after school activities may be

particularly useful promoting skills such as initiative and the ability to set and achieve

goals.

This assertion was supported in a recent study of 55 high school adolescents

involved in extracurricular and community based activities (72% were involved in sport).

Dworkin, Larson, and Hansen (2003) found that these young people viewed

extracurricular activities as an important growth experience in which psychological skills

such as goal setting, time management, and emotional control were learned. In a second

more comprehensive investigation, Hansen, Larson, and Dworkin (2003) studied 450

high school students who reported the developmental gains they associated with

involvement in a variety of extracurricular activities, including sports. Results revealed

that these youth reported higher rates of learning experiences such as identity exploration,

reflection, and team skills in sports and extracurricular activities versus participation in

regular school classes and unsupervised time with friends. Sports were thus identified as

a context for identity work and emotional development. However, participation in sports

was also associated with negative experiences like peer pressure and inappropriate adult

behaviors. Finally, Steen, Kachorek, and Peterson (2003) found that adolescents reported

characteristics like leadership, wisdom, and social intelligence were acquired through life

experiences fostered by extracurricular activities.

In summary, a number of physical, psychological, and social benefits can be

gained from youth sports participation. However, the developmental benefits of youth

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

sports are not guaranteed through mere participation. Evidence indicates that the quality

of adult leadership is a key factor in maximizing positive effects.

References

Bredemeier, B., Weiss, M.R., Shields, D.L., Shewchuk, R.M. (1986). Promoting growth

in a summer sports camp: The implementation of theoretically grounded

instructional strategies. Journal of Moral Education, 15, 212-220

Coakley, J.L. (2004). Sport and society: Issues and controversies (8

Ed.). St. Louis:

Times Mirror/Mosby.

Dworkin, J. B., Larson, R., & Hansen, D. (2003). Adolescents’ accounts of growth

experiences in youth activities. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32 (1), 17-26.

Ewing, M.E., & Seefeldt, V. (1989). Participation and attrition patterns in American

agency-sponsored and interscholastic sports: An executive summary. Final

Report.

Gibbins, S.L., Ebbeck, V., & Weiss, M.R. (1995). Fair play for kids: Effects on the moral

development of children in physical education. Research Quarterly for Exercise

& Sport, 66, 247-255.

Hansen, D., Larson, R., & Dworkin, J. (2003).What adolescents learn in organized youth

activities: A survey of self-reported developmental experiences.

Journal of

Research on Adolescence, 13 (1), 25-56.

Hellison, D. (1995). Teaching responsibility through physical activity. Champaign IL:

Human Kinetics.

Hellison, D., & Walsh, X. (2002).

Responsibility-based youth programs evaluation:

Investigating the investigations. Quest , 54 (4), 292-307

Hodge, K. P. (1989). Character-building in sport: Fact or fiction? New Zealand Journal

of Sports Medicine, 17(2), 23-25.

Larson, R. (2000). Toward psychology of positive youth development, American

Psychologist, 55 (1), 170-183.

Malina, R.M., & Cumming, S.P. (2003). Current status and issues in youth sports. In

R.M. Malina & M.A. Clark (Eds.), Youth sports: Perspectives for a new century.

(pp. 7-25). Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice.

Seefeldt, V., Ewing, M., & Walk, S. (1992). Overview of youth sports programs in the

United States. Washington, DC: Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Steen, T. A., Kachorek, L. V., & Peterson, C. (2003). Character strengths among youth.

Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32 (1), 5-16.

Weiss, M. R., & Smith, A.L. (2002). Moral Development in sport and physical activity:

Theory, research, and intervention. In Horn, T. (ed.). Advances in sport

psychology (2

edition). Champign, IL: Human Kinetics, pp. 243-280.

Weiss, M.R., & Stuntz, C.P. (2004). A little friendly competition: Peer relationships and

psychosocial development in youth sports and physical activity contexts. In M.R.

Weiss (Ed.), Developmental sport and exercise psychology: A lifespan

perspective (pp. 165-196). Morgantown, WV: Fitness Information Technology,

Inc.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Youth Sport Coaching: Development, Approaches, and Educational Needs

The youth sport coach can have a dramatic influence on young athletes’

development and enjoyment of sport. But who is the youth sport coach? The

background and perspective of youth sport coaches can vary from inexperienced parent-

volunteers to highly skilled and paid coaches of elite youth programs. Within this

spectrum are millions of individuals that coach youth programs of all types.

Unfortunately, research has not extensively examined who the “youth sport coach” is so

our knowledge in this area is limited.

With increased sports participation in private, non-scholastic, and agency-

sponsored programs and the finding that quality coaching is critical for ensuring the

beneficial effects of youth sports participation there is a great need for better

understanding youth coaches.

Initial survey research (Gould & Martens, 1979; Martens & Gould, 1979;

Michigan Youth Sports Institute, 1978) on the characteristics and attitudes of volunteer

youth coaches showed that the major objectives relative to coaching young athletes

focused on physical, psychological, and social development, as well as fun. Winning was

the objective rated as least important. At the same time the coaches reported that while

winning is not overemphasized in their programs, problems with overemphasizing

competitive outcomes sometimes occurred in youth sports. Most of the surveyed coaches

were male, married, and untrained and the majority became involved in coaching because

of their child’s participation. Hence, they had little knowledge of sports safety, training

and conditioning, and child development. On average these coaches worked with 22

youngsters for approximately 11 hours a week during an 18 week season.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Unfortunately, this research is over two decades old so we do not know if the

characteristics of these coaches and their attitudes have changed. However, more recent

studies have identified some commonality among those that have coached at the youth

level for several years:

• In an observational and interview study with 50 coaches it was found that most

youth sport coaches have had some athletic experience but not necessarily in the

sport(s) they are coaching (Sage, 1989).

• Most youth sport coaches who remain coaches for numerous years found that

being an assistant coach or having a mentor was vital to their longevity (Bloom,

Durand-Bush, Schinke, & Salmela, 1998; Sage, 1989).

• When asked about the experience, most youth sport coaches revealed that

coaching was a more difficult endeavor than anticipated. In one study utilizing

in-depth interviews with eight youth sport coaches some of the challenges in

coaching were limited practice time, negative interactions with parents, and

league structure (Strean, 1995).

While these are common considerations for the structure of a youth sport setting, it has

been found that few programs address these concerns. First, coaches who have not

participated in the sport are rarely given effective instruction, even though this guidance

is what surveyed coaches ask for the most (Houseworth, Davis, & Dobbs, 1990).

Secondly, many youth sport coaches are left to coach an entire team without other

individuals to help or do not have a network for mentoring. Finally, while coaches

continue to discuss concerns like time, parents, and structure, few youth sports programs

seem to be willing to implement necessary changes.

Some of the most important and methodologically sound youth sports research

conducted to date has focused on the approaches coaches take while interacting with

children. Ron Smith, Frank Smoll, and their colleagues (see Smith, Smoll, & Curtis,

1979; Smoll, Smith, Barnett, & Everett, 1993) have been the leading researchers in this

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

area. In this line of both correlational and experimental research the investigators have

looked at how the feedback and behaviors exhibited by a coach influences athletes’ sense

of satisfaction with the coach, season, and teammates. More specifically, it was found

that youth coaches who underwent Coach Effectiveness Training (CET) to learn

techniques for encouragement, effective skill instruction, and avoiding punishment were

perceived in a different way than those coaches who did not undergo the training.

Coaches trained in “positive coaching” techniques were better liked by their athletes and

these athletes had more satisfaction with their teammates and season. Athletes of CET

trained coaches also exhibited higher levels of motivation. Further, those children who

started the season with lower self-esteem and played for a CET trained coach showed a

greater increase in self-esteem over the season than those with lower self-esteem playing

for non-trained coaches. An interesting note on this line of research is that the win-loss

records of the team seemed not to impact athletes’ perceptions of satisfaction with coach

and season. Thus, this research has shown that training coaches to be more positive and

encouraging leads to a number of positive psychosocial consequences.

Coaching style training such as CET has also been found to affect attrition rates in

youth sports. In a follow-up investigation, it was found that those athletes who played for

untrained coaches reported an attrition rate of 26% (typical rate in youth sports); whereas

those athletes playing for a CET trained coach reported rates of only 5% (Barnett, Smoll,

& Smith, 1992). Players who had played for these positively oriented coaches also

exhibited lower anxiety levels (Smith, Smoll, & Barnett, 1995). These findings clearly

substantiate the powerful affect of positive coaching behaviors on both keeping youth

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

active in sports and ensuring positive psychosocial consequences such as enhanced

esteem and lower anxiety.

While this line of research on “positive coaching” has made an impact on

understanding feedback and coaching behaviors, there are also several implications for

youth coaching education. The literature is clear that coaching education is not being

fully embraced in all youth sport settings (Houseworth, Davis, & Dobbs, 1990; Stewart &

Sweet, 1992). Numerous studies have investigated coaches’ perceptions of educational

opportunities. Survey and questionnaire data from samples of coaches, ranging from 39

to almost 800 respondents depending on the study, found some interesting results.

First, programs are not perceived to benefit most coaches. Further, coaching education

material is not seen as comprehensive, not effective, or not adequately preparing these

coaches for their myriad roles (Houseworth, Davis, & Dobbs, 1990; Silvestri, 1991;

Stewart & Sweet, 1992). As stated earlier, many youth sport coaches are volunteers who

do not have time to give to coaching education. Despite much concern about the

educational needs of these coaches, experts agree that youth sport coaching education

should focus on the following:

• A comprehensive approach providing both strategies for sport development (e.g.,

skills and drills, growth and maturation, training techniques) and strategies for

dealing with social issues (e.g., communication, feedback, parents) (Silvestri,

1991).

• Providing ongoing education that allows for not only the foundational knowledge

but also strategies for dealing with sport and league specific concerns. This

process would allow coaches to refresh previous knowledge and learn updated

practices.

• In a series of interviews with coaches it was found that an environment allowing

coaches to network with, learn from, and mentor each other was critical for

development (Bloom, Durand-Bush, Schinke, & Salmela, 1998). Peer learning

and evaluation can greatly enhance coaching education formatting.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Due to the scope of youth sport experience, the development and background of

the typical youth sport coach has not been easily identified. While some research has

examined the general background and needs of these coaches, more research would aid in

understanding the overall role and needs of the youth sport coach. Positive approaches to

coaching have been identified through research of feedback patterns and coach-athlete

interactions. Furthering this line of research into application of all youth sport contexts

would be beneficial. Finally, coaching education practices have had limited success but

have not found much support on a wide-scale effort (Gilbert & Trudel, 1999).

Identifying educational needs have helped researchers in better understanding formats to

reach this diverse audience.

References

Barnett, N.P., Smoll, F.L., & Smith, R.E. (1992). Effects of enhancing coach-athlete

relationships on youth sport attrition. The Sport Psychologist, 6, 111-127.

Bloom, G.A., Durand-Bush, N., Schinke, R.J., & Salmela, J.H. (1998). The importance of

mentoring in the development of coaches and athletes. International Journal of

Sport Psychology, 29, 267-281.

Gilbert, W., & Trudel, P. (1999). An evaluation strategy for coach education programs.

Journal of Sport Behavior, 22, 234-250.

Gould, D., & Martens, R. (1979). Attitudes of volunteer coaches toward significant

youth sport issues. Research Quarterly, 50 (3), 369-380

Houseworth, S.D., Davis, M.L., & Dobbs, R.D. (1990). A survey of coaching education

program features. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance,

May/June, 26-30.

Martens, R., & Gould, D. (1979). Why do adults volunteer to coach children's sports?

In: K.M. Newell & G.C. Roberts (Eds.). Psychology of motor behavior and sport

– 1978 (pp 79-89). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers.

Michigan Youth Sports Institute (1978). Joint legislative study on youth sports

programs: Phase III report. Lansing, MI: State of Michigan.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Sage, G.H. (1989). Becoming a high school coach: From playing sports to coaching.

Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 60, 81-92.

Silvestri, L. (1991). Survey of volunteer coaches. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 72, 409-

410.

Smith, R.E., Smoll, F.L., & Barnett, N.P. (1995). Reduction of children’s sport

performance anxiety through social support and stress-reduction training for

coaches. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 16, 125-142.

Smith, R.E., Smoll, F.L, & Curtis, B. (1979). Coach effectiveness training: A cognitive-

behavioral approach to enhancing relationship skills in youth sport coaches.

Journal of Sport Psychology, 1, 59-75.

Smoll, F.L., Smith, R.E., Barnett, N.P., & Everett, J.J. (1993). Enhancement of children’s

self-esteem through social support training for youth sport coaches. Journal of

Applied Psychology, 78, 602-610.

Stewart, C.C., & Sweet, L. (1992). Professional preparation for high school coaches: The

problem continues. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance,

August, 75-79.

Strean, W.B. (1995). Youth sport contexts: coaches’ perceptions and implications for

intervention. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 7, 23-37.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Health and Safety in Youth Sports: Injury Risk and Obesity

With millions of youth participating in private and agency-sponsored (versus

school) sport programs health and safety are major issues. Understanding issues related

to how these younger athletes are affected by injury and health risks are important.

Research findings conflict on the exact epidemiology of youth sport injuries, however,

several trends are seen in the literature (Patel & Nelson, 2000):

• 48% of youth sport athletes have been found to have at least one injury during an

athletic season.

• 65% of injuries in youth sports are minor.

• Overuse injuries (e.g., tendonitis) are more common than acute injuries (e.g.,

fractures) at around 30-50% of all injuries.

• Strength training does not pose an inherent risk for youth and children

(Faigenbaum, 2000).

• The overall rate of injury in youth sport participants is lower than adult sport

participants (Bruns & Maffulli, 2000).

While these statistics are encouraging about the long-term negative effects of youth sport

participation, it is necessary to understand what makes developing children susceptible to

injuries. Patel and Nelson (2000) have determined special considerations for this

population of athletes:

• Adolescent growth spurts (including issue of size and weight)

• Development of motor skills

• Training practices

• Differential growth of bones and connective tissues

• Bone maturation

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Of this list, the effect of bone growth, differential growth of other tissues, and growth

spurts are quite a concern. Avulsion fractures (fractures causing a piece of bone to be

broken off due to traction) are common during adolescence due to the imbalance of

tendon strength to bone strength (Bruns & Maffulli, 2000). This injury is especially

devastating when occurring near growth plates in the long bones of the arm and leg.

Injuries in the upper-extremity occur in a variety of youth sports. One study

found that around 15% of sport participants under the age of 16 had sustained an upper

extremity injury (Rettig, 1998). While 3-9% of all sports injuries are upper-extremity,

the most common tend to be overuse injuries (e.g., tendonitis), accounting for 25-50% of

total injuries, or sprains to the wrist (Fulcher, Kiefhaber, & Stern, 1998; Rettig, 1998).

There are preventative steps that can be taken to help reduce the incidence and

severity of youth sport injuries. The most important step is identifying contributing

factors and addressing changes in order to prevent injury. Micheli, Glassman, & Klein

(2000) have reported several areas of future research and practice for preventing injuries:

• Lack of coach education regarding injury

• Hazardous conditions for play and practice

• Training errors and inadequate instruction

• Inadequate equipment

• Poor nutrition

• Declining fitness level of youth

The last two items on this list are a major concern with today’s youth. According to the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 1999):

• Almost half of America’s youth do not take part in regular vigorous exercise.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

• 14% of youth report no physical activity.

• Only 19% of high school students are getting the recommended level of physical

activity in a physical education setting.

• Social support (family and peer encouragement) is a consistent correlate of

physical activity.

These are alarming statistics regarding the inactivity of today’s youth. As obesity

has become a childhood issue, the factors affecting this disorder must be examined. First,

obese children report a significantly lower quality of life than non-obese children

(Schwimmer, Burwinkle, & Varni, 2003). Secondly, obesity in childhood and

adolescence is a predictor of adult obesity, regardless of parental obesity level (Whitaker,

Wright, Pepe, Seidel, & Dietz, 1997). Physical activity can be an effective tool for

affecting weight change in these children. There are numerous factors that influence

physical activity in children and youth. An investigation of school age children found

that three variables were regularly reported by subjects as predicting physical activity

(Sallis, Prochaska, Taylor, Hill, & Geraci, 1999). These factors were:

• Time after school to participate,

• Interest in physical education classes, and

• Support from family.

While these factors can positively influence continued participation in regular physical

activity, the largest determinants of change in activity over time were found to be the

parental resources for supporting activity (e.g., transportation, money) (Sallis, Alcaraz,

McKenzie, & Hovell, 1999). These are interesting findings when the impact of money

and social support are taken into account. With these factors in mind, it is apparent

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

individuals lacking in these resources are faced with even more barriers to physical

activity.

Ethnicity and gender have also been investigated as predictors of physical

activity. For instance, one study (Gordon-Larsen, McMurray, & Popkin, 1999) found

that non-Hispanic black youth engaged in more inactivity per week (by about 7 hours)

than non-Hispanic white youth. Ethnic minorities also engaged in less physical activity

overall. For the most part, females tended to partake in less physical activity than their

male counterparts, with ethnicity again being a differentiating variable.

Several findings regarding physical activity and obesity in youth help to illustrate

the personal and social complexity of the problem:

• Children are snacking more over the last 35 years. Children eat more snacks with

lower nutritional value during the day (Jahns, Siega-Riz, & Popkin, 2001).

• Children view barriers to activity as attractiveness of indoor activity, lack of

motivation, and time constraints. Further, children perceive barriers to eating

healthy food as convenience of snack foods, taste of snacks, and social factors

(O’Dea, 2003).

• Television commercials have been found to increase children’s desires for the

food they want (Borzekowski & Robinson, 2001). This finding may be

compounded by children’s preferences for indoor activity!

While these points may seem to illustrate a hopeless state of youth of inactivity and

increased consumption, research has shown some promise. It has been found that those

children who reduced their overall television watching and videogame playing did show

weight loss as one result (Robinson, 1999). It has also been found that simply spending

more time outdoors is correlated with increased activity (Pate, 2004). Finally,

community-based interventions have proven to be an effective promotion of physical

activity and weight change. These programs were most effective when focusing on

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

decreasing sedentary behaviors and increasing motivation for activity (Epstein, Valoski,

Vara, McCurly, Wisniewski, Kalarchian, Klein, & Shrager, 1995; Pate, Saunders, Ward,

Felton, Trost, & Dowda, 2003). In one program for obese children it was found that

focusing on diet (promoting healthy foods and balanced nutrition) as well as limiting

sedentary activities (television viewing) was linked to healthy weight loss and increase in

activity (Epstein, Valoski, Vara, McCurly, Wisniewski, Kalarchian, Klein, & Shrager,

1995). These findings substantiate the efforts of programs that promote interplay of

factors: healthy diet, decrease of sedentary activities, and increase in fitness activities.

References

Borzekowski, & Robinson (2001). The 30-second effect: An experiment revealing the

impact of television commercials on food preferences of preschoolers. Journal of

the American Dietetic Association, 101, 42-46.

Bruns, W., & Maffulli, N. (2000). Lower limb injuries in children in sports. Clinics in

Sports Medicine, 19, 637-662.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2004). Adolescents and young adults.

Retreived on October 10, 2004 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/adoles.htm.

Epstein, L.H., Valoski, A.M., Vara, L.S., McCurly, J., Wisniewski, L., Kalarchian, M.A.,

Klein, K.R., & Shrager, L.R. (1995). Effects of decreasing sedentary behavior and

increasing activity on weight change in obese children. Heath Psychology, 14,

109-115.

Faigenbaum, A.D. (2000). Strength training for children and adolescents. Clinics in

Sports Medicine, 19, 593-619.

Fulcher, S.M., Kiefhaber, T.R., & Stern, P.J. (1998). Upper-extremity tendonitis and

overuse syndromes in the athlete. Clinic in Sports Medicine, 17, 433-448.

Gordon-Larsen, P., McMurray, R.G., Popkin, B.M. (1999). Adolescent physical activity

and inactivity vary by ethnicity: The national longitudinal study of adolescent

heath. The Journal of Pediatrics, 135, 301-306.

Jahns, L., Siega-Riz, A.M., & Popkin, B.M. (2001). The increasing prevalence of

snacking among US children from 1977 to 1996. The Journal of Pediatrics, 138,

493-498.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Micheli, L.J., Glassman, R., & Klein, M. (2000). The prevention of sports injuries in

children. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 19, 821-834.

O’Dea, J.A. (2003). Why do kids eat healthful food? Perceived benefits of and barriers to

healthful eating and physical activity among children and adolescents. Journal of

the American Dietetic Association, 103, 497-501.

Pate, R.R. (2004, July). Promotion of physical activity for obesity prevention in youth.

Presented at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute 2004 Scientific Conference,

Santa Cruz, CA.

Pate, R.R., Saunders, R.P., Ward, D.S., Felton, G., Trost, S.G., & Dowda, M. (2003).

Evaluation of a community-based intervention to promote physical activity in

youth: Lessons from active winners. American Journal of Health Promotion, 17,

171-182.

Patel, D.R., & Nelson, T.L. (2000). Sports injuries in adolescents. Medical Clinics of

North America, 84, 983-1007.

Rettig, A.C. (1998). Epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries in sports. Clinic in Sports

Medicine, 17, 401-406.

Robinson, T.N. (1999). Reducing children’s television viewing to prevent obesity: A

randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282,

1561-1567.

Sallis, J.F., Alcaraz, J.E., McKenzie, T.L., & Hovell, M.F. (1999) Predictors of change in

children’s physical activity over 20 months: Variations by gender and level of

adiposity. American Journal of Preventive medicine, 16, 222-229.

Sallis, J.F., Prochaska, J.J., Taylor, W.C., Hill, J.O., & Geraci, J.C. (1999). Correlates of

physical activity in a national sample of girls and boys in grades 4 through 12.

Health Psychology, 18, 410-415.

Schwimmer, J.B., Burwinkle, T.M., & Varni, J.W. (2003). Health-related quality of life

of severely obese children and adolescents. Journal of the American Medical

Association, 289, 1813-1819.

Whitaker, R.C., Wright, J.A., Pepe, M.S., Seidel, K.D., & Dietz, W.H. (1997). Predicting

obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. The New

England Journal of Medicine, 337, 869-873.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Youth Sports: Involvement, Participation, and Dropout

With millions of children participating in youth sports each year, it is vital to

understand the motives for, predictors of, and detractors to involvement. Children

participate in youth sports for a variety of reasons and have multiple reasons for

involvement (Gould & Petlichkoff, 1988). For example, the largest study of its type

conducted to date (surveying 8000 youth) identified the reasons children report for

participating in sport (Seefeldt, Ewing, & Walk, 1992). These reasons included:

• To have fun

• To do something I am good at

• To stay in shape

• To learn new or improve my skills

• To play as part of a team

These motives for participation are interesting for several reasons. First, regardless of

gender, the most important reason for participating is to have fun. Second, most young

athletes have multiple motives for involvement; there is interplay of skill development,

physical development, and social interaction. Finally, “to win” is rated 8

participation motives for school-sponsored sports and was not even listed by non-school

sport participants (Seefeldt, Ewing, & Walk, 1992).

While the identification of key motives for youth sports participation are

important for helping researchers understand why children participate in sport, they have

not been found to tell the entire story. Researchers have discovered that there are deeper

motives for youth sport participation (Gould & Petlichkoff, 1988). Chief among these are

young athletes’ perceptions of competence or ability. Children who feel competent about

their physical abilities have been found to more often participate and persist in physical

activity whereas children who do not have that sense of competence are more likely to

not become involved or to discontinue involvement (see Weiss & Ferrer-Caja, 2002 for a

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

detailed review). Thus, helping children to feel “competent” is seen as critical for sport

participation and involvement.

Overall participation patterns in youth sports are difficult to gauge. Ewing and

Seefeldt (2002) reported that between 1987-1999 basketball had the highest participation

increase of all team sports (39.2% of youth, 10% increase over this period). In fact, most

team sports surveyed had a negative shift in participation during this time period. When

examining the difference between school-sponsored and agency-sponsored programs

there are also interesting findings (Ewing & Seefeldt, 2002):

• Overall, minorities participate less in both school and agency-sponsored

programs.

• Minorities participate in school-sponsored programs more than agency-sponsored

programs.

• Boys, regardless of race, participate in both types of programs at a higher rate

than girls.

As important as understanding why children participate in sports is understanding

why they discontinue involvement. It is estimated that around 35% of children drop out

of sport each year, although some children dropout of one sport and still participate in

other sports while other young athletes discontinue sports completely (Gould &

Petlichkoff, 1988). The onset of adolescence (ages 11 -12) is a time when

discontinuation of sport participation is at its highest level. An example of this comes

from the sport of gymnastics. In a group of youth sport participants, 25.3% of children

participated at the age of 10 while only 3.3% of these athletes were still involved at age

18 (Seefeldt, Ewing, & Walk, 1992)!

Interviews with athletes who discontinued their sport participation have revealed

numerous reasons for their decision with the major reason being changing interests or

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

interest in some other type of activity. Overall, reasons for dropping out of both school

and agency-sponsored youth sport programs have been found to be (Seefeldt, Ewing, &

Walk, 1992):

• No longer interested in the sport (highest for both boys and girls).

• It was no longer fun.

• The coach played favorites/was a poor teacher.

• Wanting to participate in other activities.

This last motive for discontinuation of participation provides a note of explanation.

Many studies examining youth sport attrition have found that a large number of those

dropping out are either trying other sports or continuing the same sport at a later time

(Gould, Feltz, Horn, & Weiss,1982; Klint & Weiss, 1986). This poses an interesting

issue for those studying youth sport attrition. It has become important to distinguish

between those athletes who drop out of all sports and those that go on to sample others;

Gould and Petlichkoff (1988) would call these sport-specific and domain-general forms

of sport withdrawal.

An especially interesting reason cited for dropping out of sport has been the

influence of leadership. An early investigation (Orlick, 1973) into youth sport attrition

found that athletes were concerned with the overemphasis of competition they

experienced within sport. The participants were frustrated with not getting to play and

not having a chance to learn the appropriate skills to gain experience. Further, most

blamed the coach for these concerns. In another study (Gould, Feltz, Horn & Weiss,

1982) children cited dislike of their coach and not enough fun as significant motives for

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

discontinuing. These studies, then, certainly emphasize the important role coaching

leadership provides in the youth sport attrition process.

When further examining reasons for dropping out of sports, several differences

based on demographics are found:

• African American and Hispanic American youth rated too much emphasis placed

on winning, needing time to study, and the coach being an ineffective teacher

higher than Caucasian youth (Seefeldt, Ewing, & Walk, 1992).

• Males reported the effect of win-loss record on their decision more than females

(Seefeldt, Ewing, & Walk, 1992).

• Females rated social aspects of sports (relationships with teammates, peer

comparison) as more of an influence on their decision than males (Seefeldt,

Ewing, & Walk, 1992).

• Females have reported negative experiences in sport (physical and emotional

trauma) that have led to some discontinuing sport participation (Gilbert, 2001).

Examining why participants drop out of youth sports is a major concern in both

research and policy. Especially with the increase of inactivity and health risks to youth,

understanding how to keep children involved in physical activity is critical. Further,

understanding the interplay of personal factors (e.g., self-esteem, skill competence) and

social factors (e.g., coach-athlete interactions, peer relations) could aid in providing a

program focused on sustaining participation and involvement.

References

Ewing, M.E., & Seefeldt, V. (2002). Patterns of participation in american agency-

sponsored youth sports. In F.L. Smoll, & R.E. Smith (Eds.), Children and Youth

in Sport (2

ed.). (pp. 39-56). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Gilbert, E.D. (2001). Towards a richer understanding of girls’ sport experiences. Women

in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 10, 117-143.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Gould, D., Feltz, D., Horn, T., & Weiss, M. (1982). Reasons for attrition in competitive

youth swimming. Journal of Sport Behavior, 5, 155-165.

Gould, D., & Petlichkoff, L. (1988). Participation motivation and attrition in young

athletes. In F.L. Smoll, R.A. Magill, & M.J. Ash (Eds.), Children in sport (3

ed.). (pp.161-178). Champaign IL: Human Kinetics.

Klint, K.A., & Weiss, M.R. (1986). Dropping in and dropping out: Participation motives

of current and former youth gymnasts. Canadian Journal of Applied Sport

Sciences, 11, 106-114.

Orlick, T.D. (1973, Jan/Feb). Children’s sport—A revolution is coming. Canadian

Association of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Journal, 12-14.

Seefeldt, V., Ewing, M., & Walk, S. (1992). Overview of youth sports programs in the

United States. Washington, DC: Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development.

Weiss, M. R., & Ferrer-Caja. E. (2002). Motivational orientations in youths sports. In

Horn, T. (ed.). Advances in sport psychology (2

edition). Champign, IL: Human

Kinetics, pp. 101-183.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

The Role of Parents in Children’s Sports

A parent’s role in his or her child’s sport experience may range from something as

simple as being a driver to and from practices and games to something more complex

such as being a coach or official. Parents also shape a child’s psychological development

through their involvement in their child’s athletic experience (Côté & Hay, 2002). While

research is only starting to emerge on the role parents play in children’s sports, research

has shown that parents affect young athletes’ motivation and competence, as well as

emotional responses.

Motivation and Competence

Existing research has shown that parents can influence a child’s motivation,

perceived competence, and enjoyment of sports (Brustad, Babkes, & Smith, 2001). The

feedback and behavior of a parent can affect how long a child stays involved in a sport as

well as how a child perceives his or her abilities. The outcome a parent emphasizes and

reinforces, such as winning or improving skills, can have a major effect on what a child

deems as success in sports. Moreover, how a parent acts before, during, and after a

practice or game can cause a great deal of anxiety in the child. As a result, a child’s

performance and enjoyment can be impacted.

The motivational climate that a parent creates can have enduring effects on a

child. The climate created can be based on an extrinsic goal focus, where external

rewards such as trophies or recognition are emphasized, or an intrinsic goal orientation,

where satisfaction comes from skill mastery and personal improvement.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Parents knowingly and unknowingly create motivational climates that can have

enduring effects on a child. For instance, when a child plays sports, competence is

reinforced by his or her parents and as a result the child will become more confident and

motivated to perform these skills. Children also look to parents for information regarding

judgments on ability and decisions about future participatory behavior (Weiss & Ferrer-

Caja, 2002). As a result, parents are thought to play an important role in the development

of perceived competence, intrinsic motivation, and emotional development. Researchers

have generally supported these contentions. For example, it has been found that:

• “Parental expectations and orientations towards achievement are related to

children’s perceptions and motivated behavior” (Brustad, 1992, p. 72).

• Parental influences are conveyed through modeling and reinforcement (Brustad,

1988; Swain & Harwood, 1996; Yusuff, 1991).

• Parents are the main socializers influencing children’s sport involvement. Fathers

have typically been found to be the most important socialization influence for

both boys and girls (Greendorfer, Lewko, & Rosengren, 1996).

• Children’s perceptions of their parents’ level of interest in their sport are

predictive of children’s initial and sustained involvement (Greendorfer et al.,

1996).

• Low perceived parental pressure was found to be associated with higher

enjoyment of a season (Brustad, 1988).

• The greater the value placed on the outcome of the swim race by a significant

other, the more the race outcome mattered to youth swimmers. Moreover, if

swimmers perceived their parent as being more concerned with the swimmer’s

mastery of skills, the swimmer also became more intrinsically motivated (Swain

& Harwood, 1996).

Although the research is not abundant regarding parental influences on their

children in the arena of physical activity or sports, the above research does provide

evidence that parents are very influential in terms of influencing children’s motivational

goal orientations and subsequent performance.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Emotional Outcomes

In addition to motivation and competence, parents have been shown to be

tremendously influential in shaping children’s emotional outcomes from sport

participation. Parents have been identified as a common theme in research examining

sources of stress for youth sport participants (Gould, Eklund, Petlichkoff, Peterson, &

Bump, 1991; Gould, Wilson, Tuffey, & Lochbaum, 1993; Scanlan & Lewthwaite, 1984).

Thus, research on children’s emotional outcomes has focused on and been linked to how

children perceive parental pressure, expectations, and evaluation.

The most frequently studied emotional responses to sport participation for youth

have been anxiety and enjoyment, which parents commonly influence. Administering

anxiety assessments before and after matches, Scanlan and Lewthwaite (1984) examined

the factors that influenced competitive stress of 9- to 14-year-old wrestlers. Children’s

perceptions of significant adult influences were shown to be a predictor of pre- and post-

match anxiety. Specifically, the authors indicated that “prematch worries about failure

and perceived parental pressure to participate” were predictors of pre-match stress (p.

208). Young wrestlers who perceived high levels of parental pressure to wrestle were

found to have high state anxiety prior to competition, thus, emphasizing the influence

parents can have on their children’s emotional and affective responses to sport

participation.

In addition to perceived parental pressure to participate in a sport, parents can

influence their children’s emotional responses through evaluation, particularly

unfavorable evaluations, and the expectations they have for their children. Passer (1983)

found that “fear of failure and fear of evaluation are significant sources of threat in

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

competitive trait-anxious children” (p. 172). In particular, children with high competitive

trait anxiety (a personality orientation that predisposes one to see evaluative situations as

threatening) worried more often about receiving negative evaluations from significant

others than their low competitive trait anxious peers. It was also found that players with

high trait anxiety worried more than players with low trait anxiety about “not playing

well, losing, and being evaluated by parents, coaches, and teammates” (p. 172), which

emphasizes how significant others, including parents, can influence a child’s affect

related to sport participation

A young athlete’s emotional response was further shown to be related to his or her

perceptions of parental pressure by Hellstedt (1988). Hellstedt (1988) found that the

“degree of parental pressure is related to the type of affective reaction from the young

athlete” (p. 143), with high levels of parental pressure related to negative athlete

response. The athletes were also shown to be apprehensive about how their parents would

react emotionally, such as with disappointment or disapproval, when they did not perform

well. In addition, according to these young athletes, continued sport participation was

due, in part, to the desire to please their parents, further emphasizing the strong influence

parents have on their children’s sport participation as well as their emotional responses to

such participation.

Although parental influences and behaviors can have negative effects on a young

athlete’s sporting experience, these behaviors can also be perceived as encouraging and

positive and result in positive affective responses. For instance, even though Hellstedt’s

(1988) study on parental pressure on young ski racers found negative affective responses

to parental pressure, he also found that those skiers who perceived their parent’s

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

involvement as supportive and positive had more positive reactions to sport participation.

Skiers that indicated they were “very pleased” with their parents’ attitude and

involvement felt that their parents would not be upset when they did not perform well and

showed enthusiasm for sport participation.

In addition, Scanlan and Lethwaite (1986) found that the youth wrestlers who

perceived “greater parental and coach satisfaction with their season’s performance… and

more positive adult sport involvement and interactions” felt greater enjoyment and

satisfaction throughout the season whereas those wrestlers who did not have the same

perceptions of significant others did not enjoy those benefits (Scanlan &Lewthwaite,

1989, p. 25). Furthermore, the researchers also found that if wrestlers perceived less

pressure from their mothers as well as fewer negative maternal reactions to their

performance, they experienced more season-long enjoyment.

In summary, the role that a parent plays in his or her child’s youth sport

experience can have a profound influence on the child’s reaction to sport participation.

The amount of parental involvement and pressure perceived by a child as well as the

importance children feel parents place on participation in sports can have a negative or

positive effect on a child’s emotional responses, goal orientations, competence, as well as

length of sport participation.

Parental Problems in Youth Sports

While most of the research on parental involvement in youth sports has focused

on examining how parental expectations and behaviors influence involvement,

motivation, and emotional reactions of young athletes, studies looking at problems

parents might create in the sport experience are only now being conducted. This is an

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

important area of new research because of the increased media accounts of parents

arguing with coaches, confronting referees, and even fighting at youth sports contests.

In a survey of 154 varsity high school sport coaches, representing seven sports, it

was reported that problems with parents were one of the most frequently cited issues

encountered in coaching high school athletes today (Gould, Chung, Smith, & White,

2002). Similarly, in a national survey study of junior tennis coaches (Gould, Lauer, Rolo,

Jannes, & Sie Pennisi, 2004), it was perceived that 36% of parents hurt their child’s

tennis development. On a more positive, note it was reported that 59% of parents were

perceived to have a positive influence on their child’s tennis development. Finally, it was

found that the five biggest parent-child interaction problems perceived included:

• overemphasizing winning;

• holding unrealistic expectations;

• coaching one’s own child;

• criticizing one’s child; and,

• pampering their child too much.

Parents, then, are seen to have both positive and negative influences on the youth sports

experience.

References

Brustad, R. J. (1988). Affective outcomes in competitive youth sport: The influence of

intrapersonal and socialization factors. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology,

10, 307-321.

Brustad, R. J. (1992). Integrating socialization influences into the study of children’s

motivation in sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 14, 59-77.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Brustad, R., Babkes, M., & Smith, A. (2001). Youth in sport: Psychological

considerations. In R. Singer, H. Hausenblas, and C. Janelle (Eds.), Handbook of

sport psychology (pp. 604-635). New York: Wiley.

Côté, J., & Hay, J. (2002). Family influences on youth sport performance and

participation. In J. M. Silva and D. Stevens (Eds.), Psychological foundations of

sport (pp. 503-519). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Gould, D., Chung, Y., Smth, P., & White, J. (2002). Coaching life skills: high school

coaches views. Unpblished manuscript.

Gould, D., Eklund, R., Petlichkoff, L., Peterson, K., & Bump, L. (1991). Psychological

predictors of state anxiety and performance in age-group wrestlers. Pediatric

Exercise Science, 3, 198-208.

Gould, D., Lauer, L. Rolo, S., Jannes, C., & Sie-Pennisi, N. (2004). The role parents in

junior tennis success and failure. Final Report. U.S. Tennis High Performance

Sport Science Grant.

Gould, D., Wilson, C., Tuffey, S., & Lochbaum, M. (1993). Stress and the young athlete:

The child’s perspective. Pediatric Exercise Science, 5, 286-297.

Greendorfer, S.L., Lewko, J.H., & Rosengren, K.S. (1996). Family influence in sport

socialization: Sociocultural perspectives. In F. Smoll and R. Smith (Eds.),

Children and youth in sport (pp. 89-111). Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark.

Hellstedt, J. C. (1988). Early adolescent perceptions of parental pressure in the sport

environment. Journal of Sport Behavior, 13, 135-144.

Passer, M. W. (1983). Fear of failure, fear of evaluation, perceived competence and self-

esteem in competitive trait-anxious children. Journal of Sport Psychology, 5, 172-

188.

Scanlan, T., & Lewthwaite, R. (1984). Social psychological aspects of competition for

male youth sport participants: I. Predictors of competitive stress. Journal of Sport

Psychology, 6, 208-226.

Scanlan, T., & Lewthwaite, R. (1986). Social psychological aspects of competition for

male youth sport participants: IV. Predictors of enjoyment. Journal of Sport

Psychology, 8, 25-35.

Swain, A.B., & Harwood, C.G. (1996). Antecedents of state goals in age-group

swimmers: An interactionist perspective. Journal of Sports Sciences, 14, 111-124.

Weiss, M. R., & Ferrer-Caja. E. (2002). Motivational orientations in youths sports. In

Horn, T. (ed.). Advances in sport psychology (2

edition). Champaign, IL:

Human Kinetics, pp. 101-183.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Yusuff, K.B. (1991). Parental influence as perceived as motivational agent in competitive

sports among selected elite male athletes. Indian Journal of Behaviour, 15, 36-42.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

Youth Sports: Talent Development and Sports Specialization

Athletic Talent Development

Youth sport participation not only provides a developmentally sound and

rewarding experience for children in which they can develop numerous physical, social,

and psychological benefits, but for some children it serves as an important opportunity to

develop athletic talent. It is ironic, then, that the athletic talent development process is

seldom understood and this often results in inappropriate practices (Gould & Carson,

2004).

While more research is needed in this area, especially in relation to how athletic

talent is cultivated and developed by parents and coaches, several large-scale studies

(Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, Whalen, & Wong, 1993) on talent

development across a variety of domains (e.g., music, art, science, sport) have provided a

foundation to this knowledge base.

Bloom (1985) was one of the first to study talent development in world-class

performers. Specifically, 120 individuals (renowned artists, academicians, musicians,

mathematicians, swimmers, tennis players) at the top of their fields were studied. A good

deal of consistency was found across domains in terms of the investments of tangible and

intangible resources found to be essential in nurturing promising individuals with talent.

In addition to financial support and transportation to numerous competitions and

performances, parents found ways to provide social-emotional support (e.g., facilitating a

disciplined involvement while avoiding excessive expectations and pressure). The parents

also served as models for disciplined independence and fostered disciplined

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

independence in their talented children. That is, parents often modeled hard work while

supporting their children; parents reinforced their children for working independently and

expected those behaviors from them. Bloom’s results, then, clearly show that talent

development is a long-term process that involves more than just the talented person, but

also a strong support system with parents playing a primary role.

Interestingly, Bloom (1985) also found that these talented individuals’ careers fell

into three distinct stages:

• the early years, or what has been labeled the Romance Phase;

• the middle years, labeled the Precision Phase; and,

• the later years or the Integration Phase.

In the early years (Romance Phase) the child developed a love for the activity,

had a great deal of fun, received encouragement from significant others, was free to

explore the activity, and achieved a good deal of success. Parents also instilled the value

of hard work and doing things well during this time.

In the Precision Phase, an experienced coach or teacher promoted long-term

systematic skill learning in the talented individual. The focus was on technical mastery,

technique, and excellence in skill development.

Finally, in the later years or the Integration Phase an individual continued to work

with a master teacher (coach) and practiced many hours a day to turn training and

technical skills into optimal performance. There was a realization that the practiced

activity was significant in one’s life. These phases occurred over a 15 to 20 year time

period and each person moved through each phase in a developmental sequence, without

skipping phases.

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

More recently, Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, Whalen, and Wong (1993)

chronicled the development of 208 outstanding high school students who were identified

by their teachers as having strong talent in art, athletics, mathematics, music, or science.

These students were tracked from their first to final years of high school for the purpose

of determining how they differed from their peers whose talents were more average.

These investigators also wanted to determine why some of the students developed their

talent and others failed to do so. Based on their findings, it was concluded that talent must

be viewed as a developmental process rather than an all-or-nothing phenomenon and it

cannot be developed unless it is valued by society and recognized and nurtured by

parents, teachers, and coaches. Specifically, these investigators suggested that for talent

to develop information or knowledge relative to the tools of the domain must be

provided. Motivation is also needed and is greatly influenced by support and

encouragement of those in the field and family members. Finally, discipline is needed

that allows the talented teen to study their domain long enough to acquire the skills

needed for superior performance.

Csikszentmihalyi and colleagues’ (1993) also found that talent development

involves the acquisition of a mature personality during the teenage years – a personality

that allows the individual to cope with all the opportunities and obstacles that they will

face in their chosen endeavor. To nurture his or her gift, the talented teen must have

discipline, as well as talent. Talented individuals were also found to spend more time

practicing the activity, less time working outside of school, less time socializing with

friends, more time on hobbies, and less time doing chores than their less talented

counterparts. The investigators also concluded that:

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

• Teenagers cannot develop talent unless they are intrinsically motivated and enjoy

the activities of their domain while working hard to achieve their goals;

• Conflicts inherent in the development of talent (e.g., making difficult choices and

coming to terms with the implications of their individuality) cannot be avoided;

and,

• No child succeeds unless he or she is supported by caring adults.

Talented teens were also very attuned to the quality of teaching in their talent area, giving

very specific details about positive and negative behaviors of their most and least favorite

teachers and coaches. Lastly, talent development came easier to youngsters who learned

habits conducive to talent development.

Côté (1999) studied four elite athletes and their families (mothers, fathers,

siblings) and found that families, particularly parents, play an important role in elite

athlete development as athletes progress through what were identified as sampling,

specializing, and investment years. Results of in-depth interviews revealed that during

what they labeled the sampling years (ages 6 –13) the child participated in multiple sports

for fun. Parents encouraged such involvement, fueled by a belief that sport contributed to

the child’s overall development, allowing and encouraging the child to sample a wide

variety of sports. During the specializing years (ages 13-15), parents became committed

supporters as their child focused on a limited number of sports. Little pressure was placed

on the child to participate in any one sport and parents took on more of a

follower/supporter versus a leadership role, making financial and time sacrifices to

optimize their child’s participation. Lastly, during the investment years (ages 15 and

over) the child focused on deliberate practice in an effort to pursue performance

excellence. In this phase parents also provided important sources of social support,

especially when their child faced adversity or had to deal with setbacks. Little pressure

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

was placed on the child in these years.

Finally, Gould, Dieffenbach, and Moffett (2002) recently examined the

development of psychological talent in Olympic champions. Specifically, 10 U.S.

Olympic champions (winners of 32 Olympic medals) were interviewed, as were one of

their coaches (n = 10), and a parent, guardian, or significant other (n =10). A battery of

psychological inventories was also administered to the athletes. It was found that the

athletes were characterized by: the ability to cope with and control anxiety; confidence;

mental toughness/resiliency; sport intelligence; the ability to focus and block out

distractions; competitiveness; hard work ethic; the ability to set and achieve goals;

coachability; high levels of dispositional hope; optimism; and adaptive perfectionism.

Results also revealed that a number of individuals and institutions influenced the athletes’

psychological development including the community, family, the individual him or

herself, non-sport personnel, sport environment personnel, and the sport process. Coach

and family influences were perceived to be particularly important. Ways in which parents

and coaches influenced the athletes were both direct, such as teaching or emphasizing

certain psychological lessons and indirect, involving modeling or unintentionally creating

certain psychological environments. Results supported Bloom’s (1985), Côté’s (1999)

and Csikzentmihalyi, et al.’s (1993) talent development research, demonstrating the

important roles parents play in athletic talent development.

While this initial research on athletic talent development is encouraging, much

more research is needed. Particularly useful would be studies that examine positive and

negative effects of parental involvement and ways parents interact with coaches. Along

these lines Gould, Lauer, Jahnnes, Rolo and Sie-Pennisi (2004) recently studied the

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

careers of young professional tennis players (by interviewing the players, their parents

and coaches) for the purpose of identifying parenting practices across one’s career. Most

interesting was the finding that parental support and commitment was critical to player

development. Parenting practices were also reported to differ across Bloom’s phases of

talent development. Especially interesting was the finding that fun and fundamentals

were emphasized during the early years and that parents had few expectations or goals

relative to a career in tennis.

The above finding is important because some experts (Gould & Carson, 2004)

have argued that many parents are taking a professionalized approach to initial youth

sports involvement by skipping the critical romance phase, and overemphasizing

winning, rankings, single sport involvement and downplaying the role of fun. At this

time, the long term ramifications to such an early professionalization orientation are not

known. However, from what is known about the talent development literature, a concern

is that without developing the love of the game children will not have the motivation to

sustain the effort needed to pursue excellence that has been found to take as many as

10,000 hours or 10 years of deliberate practice to develop (Ericsson, 1996).

Early Sport Specialization

A topic related to talent development in young athletes is early specialization and

year round training in one sport. Over the last two decades the practice of specializing in

a single sport on a year-round basis has increased. In a survey of 152 high school athletic

directors, for example, over 70 percent of the respondents felt that sport specialization

was on the rise (Hill & Simons, 1989). Moreover, the most important factors identified as

contributing to the increased emphasis on specialization included:

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

• pressure from coaches;

• high parental expectations;

• athlete’s desire to participate in championships;

• encouragement from college recruiters; and,

• a societal emphasis on specialization.

While specialization is certainly on the rise, the exact number of young athletes

specializing is not known and research on the topic is badly needed. In one of the few

studies conducted on the topic, Hill and Hansen (1987) found that 101 high school

football coaches felt that athletes who specialize are more likely to have refined athletic

skills, participate in an all-star game, and receive a college scholarship. However, these

same coaches also indicated that athletes who specialize are under more pressure to excel,

experience fewer meaningful social interactions, and experience a less diversified high

school sports experience.

Other concerns voiced in response to specialization include the fact that athletic

performance at one age in childhood does not accurately predict performance at a later

age. Thus, one might not specialize in the sport they have the ultimate potential, seeing

that 98% of athletes who specialize will never reach the highest levels of the sport

(Wiersma, 2000). From a sociological perspective, early specialization is thought to

isolate the young athlete from peers and interfere with normal identity development.

Finally, early specialization is thought to be related to an increase in burnout or

withdrawal from sport as a result of chronic stress (Wiersma, 2000).

Some of the most interesting studies on early sport specialization were conducted

in the former Soviet Union, which extensively practice the early identification of athletes

Hedstrom & Gould Research in Youth Sports: Critical Issues Status 2004

and selection into single sports . Barynina and Vaitsekhobvski (1992) reported that age

group swimmers who specialized at a later age advanced at a greater rate than swimmers

who specialized early. Similarly, Bompa (1995) cited several Soviet studies that showed

early sport specialization did not lead to the performance advantages people thought, and

in fact, there was an advantage to early sport diversification.

This literature does not suggest that individuals not specialize in sport. Indeed,

given Ericsson’s (1996) work on the amount of time it takes to develop expertise (10

years of 10,000 hours of deliberate practice) and what has been learned from tracking

stages of elite athletes’ development (Bloom, 1985; Cote, 1999) in order to develop their

talents, athletes must and should specialize. The critical question is at what age young

athletes should do so. Professionals are concerned that specialization is occurring at too

early of an age. Moreover, little scientific evidence is available to support or refute the

risks that may be involved in early specialization. Preliminary evidence does indicate that

while early specialization has some distinct advantages, it may have negative physical,

psychological, and social effects on a child. For this reason, groups such as the American

Academy of Pediatrics (2000) urge caution when it comes to early sport specialization.

They also stress the importance of making efforts to provide young athletes, their parents,

and coaches with knowledge and recommendations that will help them avoid the pitfalls

of early specialization.

References

American Academy of Pediatrics (2000). Intensive training and sports specialization in

young athletes. Pediatrics, 106(1), 154-157.

Bloom, B.S. (Ed.) (1985). Developing talent in young people. NY: Ballantine.

Bompa, T. (1995). From childhood to champion athlete. Toronto, Ontario: Veritas.

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Bayrnina, I.I., & Vaitsekhovskii, S.M. (1992). The aftermath of early sports

specialization for highly qualified swimmers. Fitness Sports Review International,

August, 132-133.

Côté, J. (1999). The influence of the family in the development of talent in sport. The

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Côté, J., & Hay, J. (2002). Family influences on youth sport performance and

participation. In J. M. Silva and D. Stevens (Eds.), Psychological foundations of

sport (pp. 503-519). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Csikszentmihalyi, M., Rathunde, K., Whalen, S & Wong, M. (1993). Talented teenagers:

The roots of success and failure. NY: Cambridge University Press.

Ericsson, K. A. (1996). (Ed.). The road to excellence: the acquisition of expert

performance in the arts, sciences, sports, and games. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Gould, D, & Carson, S. (2004). Myths surrounding the role of youth sports in developing

Olympic champions. Youth Studies Australia, 23(1), 19-26.

Gould, D., Dieffenbach, K., & Moffett, A. (2002). Psychological characteristics and their

development in Olympic champions. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 14,

177-209.

Hill, G.M., & Hansen, G.F. (1987). Sport specialization in high school: A complex issue.

The Physical Educator, 44(4), 422-426.

Hill, G. M., & Simons, J. (1989). A study of the sport specialization on high school

athletics. Journal of Sport & Social Issues, 13(1), 1-13.

Howe, M. J.A. (1999). The psychology of high abilities. Washington Square, NY: New

York University Press.

Wiersma, L.D., (2000). Risks and benefits of youth sport specialization: Perspectives and

recommendations. Pediatric Exercise Science, 12, 13-22.