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As explained in part 1, it is important and necessary to let children play and discover sports through playing from an early age, rather than engage them in activities that are patterned after the varsity and professional sports, which often put a much bigger emphasis on the winning than on the ‘having fun for the sake of it’.

Knowing what is specific for every age group helps parents guide their children towards physical activities without adding any unnecessary performance pressure (for the young ones, for example).

Between the ages 6 and 12, children are at a stage of social comparison. Rather than compete with each other, children should be encouraged to make friends, improve skills and cooperate, while learning sports rules and, if possible, avoiding to set the emphasis on winning.

Between the ages of 12 to 18, body awareness sets in and with it, a new way of seeing oneself in the context of the world. The element of competition becomes evident at this stage and it should be encouraged.

Between the ages of 15 and 18(earlier for some kids), the stage of sexual identity is in full force. This is when competitiveness begets clear objectives, and some of them will have to do with group identification, peer acceptance and the pursuit of excellence in individual or team sports.

As a doctor dealing with young athletes, I believe it is important to find the answers to questions such as:

  • Is the program designed to contribute to the development of the young participants (both mentally and physically)?
  • Do championship and winning dominate the environment of the sports program as the main objective or are they second to playing and moving for the love of it?
  • Have injury prevention, safety, and emergency preparedness been given proper attention by coaches and parents?
  • Do all participants have an equal chance to play (correctly assessing the ‘bench warmers’ to players ratio)
  • Will 90 per cent of children spend time on the sidelines, and /or putting effort and time into fundraising so that an elite 10 per cent of the most mature sports-wise, can participate to provincial or national tournaments?
  • How long is the particular sports season and does it conflict with other sports of interest. Kids today can be involved in up to 3 to 4 sports at times. This leads to overall body and mental fatigue paving the way to overuse injuries and burn-out.

Working closely with parents to find answers to all these questions and more that arise during the course of immersing children and adolescents into playing and sports, helps me guide them towards adequate activities.

At the same time, I encourage parents to ask themselves important questions such as:

  • Who really wants the child in the program – the child, the coach/teacher/program organizers, or the parent?
  • Is the sport a proper fit for the child’s maturity and age level? Will the child get to participate in the games rather than become one of the ‘bench warmers’.
  • In what ways will the child benefit from the program?
  • What do parents know about the goals and objectives of the program and the qualifications of the people in charge? Are the knowledgeable in injury prevention and prepared to deal with emergencies?
  • How are competitors matched? (age, skill level, weight)
  • Is the child emotionally ready to accept criticism from another adult and have there been discussions of winning and losing?
  • What are the time and financial commitments parents are expected to meet (uniforms, weekend travel, attendance and practice at games)
  • What to do if your child wants to quit?
  • Are parents ready to share the admiration and affection a child might have for the coach as a role model
  • How many sporting activities is the child participating in?
  • Does the child feel overly tired and burnt out at end of the week?
  • Is there a change in the child sleeping habits or mood? (how to identify signs of fatigue and burn out)

Parents’ responses to the above questions and more will help them decide whether a given program is suitable for their child and also family. Every parent should be advised that youth sport is not for every child or every family, but at the same time, every child and every family are expected and should participate in physical activities that emphasize fun and love of movement.

Physical activity is a cornerstone of child development and should be encouraged by parents, health practitioners and educators.

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