Let’s hear It from the kids! Examining the experiences, views, and needs of highly committed children involved in youth sport

Jennifer J. Harris, Dave Collins, Christine Nash

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Sport specialization and intensive training programs are becoming increasingly popular, but there is an ongoing debate as to their value. This study explored how children experience arduous, specialized training and whether they find it enjoyable and meaningful. We also examined their perspective of what parental involvement they needed. One hundred three participants filled out an online questionnaire. Results demonstrated that the participants were almost without exception highly committed to their training. They acknowledged the documented downsides, such as long hours, pain, and repetition, but expressed resounding commitment, giving little indication that they looked for change. They admitted that they preferred their parents not to be involved with their coaching and disclosed that showing pride for them was their main wish. This study demonstrates that passion can engender powerful commitment and satisfaction from training that may be sometimes considered by others as too challenging for a young person to undertake.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)81-91
JournalThe Sport Psychologist
Volume37
Issue number2
Early online date28 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • parents
  • well-being
  • support
  • passion

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