Children in competitive sports--a multi-disciplinary approach

This article is divided into two parts: Part 1 consists of the position stand of The Canadian Association of Applied Sport Sciences on the involvement of children in competitive sports, and Part II presents scientific background and rationale pertinent to the position statements. Each part is divided into major categories reflecting the multi-disciplinary concerns of the participation of pre- and post-pubescent children in sport situations at all levels. Psychological considerations focus on the child learning a sense of competence and control through sport participation. Success in a sport should not be based solely on winning, but on one's own performance and attained goals. Sport involvement can provide one important avenue for a child's social development. Non-aggressive behaviour and a constructive problem-solving approach should be encouraged. Any form of discrimination towards sport participation or competition should be discouraged. From the physiological and medical point of view, it should be recognized that each child is different in his/her response and tolerance to exercise due to a great range of variability in growth rates, anthropometric indices, gender and state of health, even in children of a similar chronological age. Younger prepubertal children should be encouraged to participate in a wide variety of motor skills, whereas older post-pubertal children can become more specialized in their training and sport participation. A child's performance and adaptation to training should not be directly compared to an adult's as significant differences exist, especially during the years of accelerated growth. Environmental exercise tolerance is also more limited to children than adults. In younger children repetitive heavy loading of the musculoskeletal system should be approached with caution. With proper equipment design and usage, and rule modifications, serious injuries can be avoided. Medical disabilities should be evaluated on an individual basis and should not necessarily preclude a child's participation. Teachers, parents and coaches should have a thorough understanding of the implications of children involved in sports and adhere to the recommendations reviewed in this statement.